Haj dormitories to double

Haj dormitories to double

JAKARTA: The government is planning to double the capacity of
its haj housing complex in Aziziyah, Mecca, from 15,000 to 30,000
next year, Minister of Religious Affairs Said Aqil Almunawar said
on Monday.

He expressed the hope that the Saudi government would assist
Indonesia in implementing the plan so that next year's haj
pilgrims from Indonesia would no longer do the Mabit (spend the
night) in Muzdalifah before stoning the Jamarat.

"Hopefully, by increasing the capacity of the pilgrim's
housing complex next year, our pilgrims will be able to perform
the haj well," Said added.

Due to the limited accommodation in the Aziziyah pilgrim
housing complex, which is located just two kilometers from the
Jamarat (the three pillars), 40,000 pilgrims had to stay in
Muzdalifah this year, about five kilometers from the site of
Jamarat (the site where pilgrims throw stones at the stone
pillars symbolizing the devil) in Mina.

The total number of Indonesian haj pilgrims this year reached
about 200,000. --Antara