Due to the crowdedness and congestion that Mecca witnesses each year during the Umrah and Hajj seasons, Saudi officials along with Mecca’s authorities have decided that the future surveillance of the crowd will be handled and ensured by a 13.000 special security officers.

The Commander of the Special Force for the Security of Haj and Umrah , Mr, Brigadier Ali Al-Ghamdi, declared that the security’s officiers main role is to control the Grand Mosque’s areas.  He added to say that the security officers are monitoring the crowds with surveillance cameras linked to an operation room. Additionally, he said that the number of pilgrims entering the Mosque is controlled and when it is filled, no one else will be allowed to enter.

According to Al-Ghamdi , among the security duties too is offering  help to elderly pilgrims when performing their rituals.

The force’s main role is to monitor the entire east and southeast yards and the Holy Haram’s 16 gates and organize the entry and exit gates of Umrah pilgrims during Isha and Taraweeh prayers to prevent congestion.
Mr, Brigadier Ali Al-Ghamdi said that the posters are written in four languages: Arabic, English, Urdu and French, in order to guide pilgrims to their proper directions.
He added to say that the security officers are distributing brochures in different languages to assist  Umrah pilgrims to properly  perform their rituals. Assistance to pilgrims is being offered by a group of 300 non-commissioned officiers who have been trained at Umm Al-Qura University.
Officiers are helping the traffic police to organize the movement of pedestrians and working along with Search and Investigation forces to protect pilgrims from thieves.