SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi operators control over 3,500 cameras monitoring Haj pilgrims celebrating Eid

Record ID: 189041

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi operators control over 3,500 cameras monitoring Haj pilgrims celebrating Eid
  • Date: 27th October 2012
  • Summary: MINA, SAUDI ARABIA (OCTOBER 27, 2012) (REUTERS) INTERIOR OF THE COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY IN MINA VARIOUS OF OFFICER OPERATING CAMERAS VARIOUS OF SCREENS SHOWING VARIOUS VIEWS OF THE CITY VARIOUS OF WORKERS MONITORING MOVEMENT OF PILGRIMS AT THE JAMARAT (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLONEL KHALID AL GHAMDI, SUPERVISOR OF COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER ROOM, SAYING: "We have the most highly sophisticated systems, we could detect the license plate, even the badge plate, we can detect that." VARIOUS OF PILGRIMS WALKING ACROSS JAMARAT BRIDGE OFFICER INSIDE CONTROL ROOM MONITORING CLOSE OF SCREEN VARIOUS OF THE CONTROL CENTER AND SCREENS NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MAJOR GENERAL ABDULLAH AL-ZAHRANI, CHIEF COMMANDER OF COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY, SAYING: "Thank God we have not recorded any major incidents that are worth mentioning or accidents that would affect the movement of the pilgrims. It happens sometimes where there are crowds. The plans we have are very restricted in terms of safety." SECURITY HELICOPTER HOVERING IN THE SKY VIEW FROM SECURITY HELICOPTER AERIAL VIEW OF JAMARAT AT MINA PILGRIM TENTS SET UP AT CAMPS IN MINA VARIOUS AERIALS OF MECCA CITY / THE GRAND MOSQUE / MECCA CLOCK AND TOWER
  • Embargoed: 11th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA5JX09O06RH6BB39UXLHMBKAU3
  • Story Text: Over 3,500 cameras overlooking Mina in Saudi Arabia are in operation through the celebration of Eid al-Adha, which marks the annual Muslim haj pilgrimage.
    The Islamic holiday has this year attracted more than three million people from nearly 190 countries.
    Security control is at its peak with officers at the Command and Control Center of Public Security working around the clock to monitor the movement of millions of pilgrims throughout the city.
    Over the past decade Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars expanding the Grand Mosque and building new infrastructure to avert the stampedes and tent fires that marred past pilgrimages with hundreds of deaths. The last deadly stampede was in 2006, when 360 people were crushed to death.
    Supervisor at the control room, Colonel Khalid Al Ghamdi, said their job was to catch early signs of major incidents and work to divert the flow of pilgrims.

    "We have the most highly sophisticated systems, we could detect the license plate, even the badge plate, we can detect that," he added.
    Saudi officials said the haj, including the ritual stoning of the devil which has in the past led to hundreds of deaths in stampedes, had been successful with no major accidents.
    Saudi leaders have emphasised it is a strictly religious occasion and they are prepared to deal with any troublemaking.
    Authorities are keenly aware of past episodes of violence at haj, such as in 1979, when attackers seized the Grand Mosque, beginning a two-week siege that left hundreds dead.
    Major General Abdullah al-Zahrani, the chief commander of the Command And Control Center Of Public Security, said no major incidents had occurred this year.

    "Thank God we have not recorded any major incidents that are worth mentioning or accidents that would affect the movement of the pilgrims. It happens sometimes where there are crowds. The plans we have are very restricted in terms of safety."
    Mina is a giant tent city that is used for less than a week a year during the haj. Those who are unable to afford staying at the costly, fire-resistant tents pitched small tents or laid mats on the sides of the streets and mountain slopes.
    Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and its ruling monarchy derives much of its legitimacy from its guardianship of Islam's holiest sites.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register