Saudi Gazette
MAKKAH — On behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Emir of Makkah Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has handed over the new kiswa (dress) of the Kaaba to its keeper Saleh Bin Zain Al-Abideen Al-Shaibi.
The Kaaba will be dressed with its new kiswa on Dhul Hijja 9 (Aug. 20), the day of the Arafat standing.
The kiswa is changed twice every year, once in Shaaban just before the advent of the holy month of Ramadan and on the Arafat day.
The handover function was held at the governorate building in Jeddah and was attended by a number of officials including Deputy Emir of Makkah Prince Abdullah Bin Bandar, the chief of the Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais and others.
Sudais and Shaibi have signed the delivery receipt for the kiswa.
The kiswa, in black silk embroidered in gold and silver threads, is 14 meters high, 95 cm wide and 47 meters long. It is made up of five pieces of cloth, including the curtain that covers the Kaaba door, sewed together.
The dignitaries watched a documentary featuring the stages of sewing the kiswa, which is made in Makkah by Saudi craftsmen.
Prince Khaled also on Sunday inspected the Haj terminals at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) and directed the government and private officials to provide consummate services to the guests of God to perform their rites in ease, peace and comfort.
He chaired a meeting of the Central Haj Committee, which was briefed on the inflow pilgrims and the facilities made for them.
Chairman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Abdul Hakem Bin Mohammed Al-Tamimi told the meeting that the total number of Haj flights was expected to reach 3,339, carrying more than 881,000 pilgrims.
The prince was told about 68,000 pilgrims from Indonesia and 33,000 pilgrims from Malaysia arrived in the Kingdom after finalizing their passport procedures back home under the "Makkah Road" initiative.
Sick pilgrims
The branch of the Ministry of Haj and Umrah in Makkah has launched an initiative to visit sick pilgrims in hospitals and present them with gifts.
Nasser Al-Qurashi, director of the department of pilgrims' services in the ministry, said as many as 165 pilgrims were currently admitted to Al-Noor Specialist Hospital in Makkah but all of them in stable condition.
The Ministry of Health has employed a total of 29,495 doctors, pharmacists, nurses and technicians to provide extensive healthcare to the pilgrims.
According to the ministry, its manpower during the Haj consists of 780 consultants in various medical specializations, 1,248 specialists , 2,718 general practitioners, 1,428 pharmacists, 3,553 nurses, 1,173 technicians and lab specialists, 198 specialists in nutrition, 5,587 administrators, 165 engineers and 1,491 ambulance drivers.
