MAKKAH (WNAM MONITORING): Kidana Development Co. is continuing a series of infrastructure and service projects at the holy sites as part of efforts to improve pilgrim comfort, mobility and operational readiness during this year’s Hajj season.
The company, the executive arm of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites, told Arab News that the second phase of pilgrims’ rest areas along pedestrian routes was now complete, adding 36,000 sq. meters to the area developed during the previous Hajj season.
The areas include seating spaces, service kiosks, shaded canopies with misting fans and rubber flooring designed to ease movement between the holy sites.
Kidana said it planted more than 60,000 trees during the second phase of its greening project while at the Jamarat Bridge courtyards, the company replaced 400 misting-fan columns over two phases. The cooling systems are designed to serve nearly 180,000 pilgrims per hour heading to perform the stoning ritual.
Kidana added the Mina restroom development project now included 79 two-story complexes with 7,838 restrooms after 18 additional complexes were added to existing facilities. The upgrades will increase capacity and reduce waiting times.
To improve mobility, a three-phase escalator project brings the total number of escalators in Mina to 74, including 10 new units across eight locations.
Kidana also completed the second phase of the shading and cooling project surrounding Mount Arafat, with the project now covering more than 272,000 sq. meters and increasing utilization rates through the installation of 18 modern canopies, 36 misting fans, seven cooling units and 107 additional misting columns.
The company said its pedestrian pathway project now extended across more than 240,000 sq. meters, supported by more than 150,000 sq. meters of rubber flooring, 25,000 sq. meters of green spaces, 241 misting-fan columns, and 240 smart-device charging units.
Shading works for pedestrian pathways in the Al-Sha’ibayn area in Mina have also been completed, covering a total of 103,000 sq. meters, alongside the operation of 990 misting fans and the addition of 72 new fans, in addition to advanced surveillance cameras at the site.
The company also operates more than 6,000 misting columns and over 25,000 chilled-water taps across the holy sites. A supervisory control and data acquisition system has been activated to monitor 400 reserve tanks, more than 300 cooling systems, 800 electrical panels, 500 misting fans, and 1,000 restroom complexes.
Meanwhile, the completed Rabiah Kidana housing project covers more than 33,000 sq. meters and the Kidana Al-Khaif Tents project more than 24,000 sq. meters.
In the energy sector, Kidana confirmed the completion of electrical network upgrades totaling 550 megavolt-amperes, while the fire and cooling network project included the development of 188 residential blocks comprising 565 camps.
Kidana said the number of participating brands at the holy sites increased to 66, representing 127 percent growth.
