MINA, Saudi Arabia, July  7, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of
pilgrims journeyed from Saudi Arabia's Mecca to a white-tented city in Mina on
Thursday as they neared the highlight of the biggest hajj ritual since the
coronavirus pandemic began.

Worshippers took buses or walked to Mina, seven kilometres (four miles)
from Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, where they circled the
imposing black Kaaba at the start of the rituals on Wednesday.

Dressed in simple white robes, the pilgrims will spend the night in the
air-conditioned white tents of Mina, which sits in a narrow valley surrounded
by rocky mountains and is transformed each year into a vast encampment.

"I feel great. This is all to be closer to God," Tunisian pilgrim Khaled
Bin Jomaa, 44, said as he entered the camp on foot, carrying an umbrella and a
prayer mat.

The pilgrims are positioning themselves for the highlight of the hajj on
Friday: ascending Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have
delivered his final sermon.
Worshippers will pray and recite the Koran for several hours at the
mountain and sleep nearby. On Saturday, they will gather pebbles and perform
the symbolic "stoning of the devil".

The hajj, one of the world's biggest religious gatherings, has not gone
smoothly for everyone. Saudi Arabia's hajj ministry demanded the sacking of two
top officials at a company that organises pilgrimages, over their failure to
provide decent services, the official Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday.

State-run Al-Ekhbariya TV said the company handled pilgrimages from
overseas and was responsible for "problems with food and accommodation"
including a lack of air conditioning at the Mina camp.

- 'Breathing in my face' -

Fridges packed with yoghurt, juice and water were waiting at the temporary
accommodation in Mina, along with a food buffet and fruit baskets.

One pilgrim complained about the lack of space in his room, before the
manager asked his assistants to move him to another one.
"It is too tight. I can feel the guy next to me breathing into my face,"
the pilgrim said.

The crowds, capped at one million including 850,000 from abroad chosen by
lottery, are the biggest since 2019 after two Covid-hit years when only tens of
thousands were allowed.

All worshippers are fully vaccinated and submitted negative PCR tests, but
the rituals are taking place against the backdrop of a resurgence of Covid-19
in the region.

Some Gulf countries have tightened restrictions to keep outbreaks in check.

The hajj ministry has said it is working on the highest levels of health
precautions in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.

At Mina, the pilgrims were handed small bags containing masks and
sanitiser, and ambulances were parked at the camp's entrances.

However, a requirement to wear masks has been largely ignored.

Temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) are another
challenge. Four hospitals and 26 health centres have been prepared at Mina to
treat pilgrims who might fall ill.

"We have taken all precautions. We have doctors here ready to intervene in
case needed," said Ahmad al-Zinani, a camp manager.

- Military helicopters -

The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all
Muslims with the means to do so at least once in their lives.

Saudi state media reported that Mauritania's president and Indonesia's vice
president were among the pilgrims landing in Jeddah on Thursday to perform the
rituals.

In 2019, about 2.5 million Muslims from around the world participated in
the event, which poses a considerable security challenge and has seen several
disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300
people.

The rites are taking place under strict security measures that include
police checkpoints in parts of Mecca. In 1979, gunmen barricaded themselves
inside the Grand Mosque in an assault that left 153 dead, according to the
official toll.

Military helicopters will be used "around the clock... to support the
public security", the commander of the Air Force Group participating in this
hajj season, Colonel Khaled bin Abdullah al-Mutairi, told state media.

Overseas pilgrims were banned from the hajj in 2020 and 2021 to prevent
Covid infections but they are back in the mountainous region this year, filling
hotel rooms and visiting shops as business owners hope to recover their
pandemic losses.