Lt. Gen. Al-Bassami: We will deter anyone who disturbs peace of pilgrims and security of Hajj

Saudi Gazette Report

MAKKAH — Lt. Gen. Muhammad Al-Bassami, director of Public Security and head of the Hajj Security Committee, reiterated on Monday that the Hajj security forces are ready to deter and prevent everything that could affect the safety of pilgrims. “We will prevent anyone who dares to harm the security of Hajj, the security of the Holy Sites, or the security of the homeland, and our eyes and security centers are ready to deal with everything that could disturb the peace of the guests of God,” he said while addressing the Grand Hajj Symposium organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Makkah on Monday.

Speaking at a session titled “Towards a Safe Hajj: Adherence to directives and regulations,” Al-Bassami said those pilgrims who do not have a Hajj permit, will be arrested even if they are in ihram dress and the arrests will continue over the days of Tashreeq (Dhul Hijjah 11 -13), and the penalties, prescribed under the law, will be slapped against them, and these include fines amounting to SR10000 and deportation of foreigners and expatriates.

Al-Bassami said that highly advanced technologies, data, and artificial intelligence are being used during the Hajj season. “Several trained security men who are proficient in entering data, assisted by a large group of programmers and assistants, will use these technologies to count the number of pilgrims at the Jamarat Bridge. The use of artificial intelligence is no longer an option, rather, it is an absolute necessity for security work during the Hajj season,” he said while pointing out that there are 8,000 surveillance cameras in Makkah and the Holy Sites, in addition to tens of thousands of devices under the titles ‘Banan,’ ‘Meydan’ and ‘Basher’ for data entry.

He stated that all security plans are based on a study and evaluation of previous plans, adding that security personnel are following up on arresting violators of Hajj regulations, calling on everyone to adhere to the instructions and obtain permits to perform the rituals.