MECCA: Malaysians intending to perform the haj and umrah can expect a greatly improved user experience under a slew of major initiatives being planned and rolled out by Saudi Arabia.
These include use of the latest high-technology system to clear immigration at the airport that will reduce the waiting time to 10 minutes from two hours currently, and the introduction of high-speed trains.
“The waiting time at the airport now is not acceptable,” Saudi Vice-Minister of Haj and Umrah, Dr Abdulfattah Suliman Mashat, told a group of visiting Malaysian editors.
“Right now, we need to manually check his or her passport,” he said. In the future, you can use the RFID at electronic gates and immediately get on the bus and trains to the hotel.”
He said: “We are adopting what we call Smart Haj. We are making the waiting time shorter and shorter.
“From this year, there will be the new processes. We are re-engineering the process involving the baggage, passport and airport transfers.”
In a rare interview, Abdulfattah, who is also the acting haj and umrah minister, gave the thumbs-up to Tabung Haji for its excellent track record in the management of pilgrims.
The former academic, who was appointed in October last year, said the Saudi government would maintain the overall 2018 haj quotas at the same level as last year’s.
“We have a good experience with Malaysia in terms of training and the management of haj.”
He gave Tabung Haji an excellent 9.5 rating out of 10.
The kingdom has plans to implement E-Haj visa across the globe from this year after a successful pilot project in Malaysia.
Malaysian haj pilgrims had been used as a test case for the Proof of Concept system for pre-clearance prior to their departure for the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has successfully implemented the E-Haj visa system with Malaysia, India and Indonesia, and some other countries.
The vice-minister also outlined other major measures to improve the haj and umrah services, and enhance user experience.
He said these measures were part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to modernise the country and draw more pilgrims.
The target is to substantially raise the number of umrah pilgrims to 30 million a year by 2030 from the seven million now, and increase the number of haj pilgrims to 4.5 million by 2030 from the three million now.
Speaking at a posh hotel overlooking Masjidil Haram, Abdulfattah said the transformation of the haj and umrah formed part of Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia, the heart of the Islamic world and the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques.
“One of the main parts of the National Transformation is how to deliver the best services to the guests of Allah,” said Abdulfattah.
The other initiatives include improving relevant infrastructure, including building trams and other public transportation and new housing in Mina.
The new Jeddah airport will open just after Ramadan while the new US$16 billion high-speed “Haramain Express” train may start commercial operations this year, he said.
The trains were undergoing final safety checks and operational readiness, he said.
Haramain Express is designed to reach speeds of up to 360km per hour.
The rail project, also known as the “Western railway” or “Mecca–Medina high-speed railway”, covers a distance of 453km.
It links the cities of Madinah and Mecca via King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), as well as Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, using 449.2km of main line and a 3.75km branch connection to the airport.
The service is expected to carry up to 60 million passengers a year, including millions of haj and umrah pilgrims. Construction started in March 2009.
With an operating speed of 300km per hour, the train will cut travel time between Mecca and Madinah to under two hours, instead of six hours by bus.
Abdulfattah also said the Saudi government would pilot a new environmentally-friendly housing project in Mina.
Each block is made up of a four-storey building that will accommodate up to 4,000 pilgrims, complete with full facilities.
He said the number of haj pilgrims had to be capped every year because of the limited accommodation in Mina.
The Saudi government has also embarked on the largest expansion ever of Masjidil Haram in the history of Islam.
With an estimated completion date of mid-2018, the US$21.3 billion project is divided into three phases.
The expansion will include the addition of a new seven-storey building with 74 prayer halls, an ornate prayer hall spread over 250,000sq metres and 5,000sq metres of the Tawaf area.