Saudi Arabia’s Hajj minister has said that the Kingdom’s holy sites will undergo a major facelift in the near future, with more services for pilgrims and increased capacity the focus of the upgrade.

According to an Arab News report, Mohammed bin Saleh Banten was quoted as saying that there is a ‘comprehensive, integrated plan to develop the Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat altogether’. He added that there is a royal commission – chaired by HH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – for Makkah and the holy sites.

This massive project will focus on improving services for pilgrims, increasing capacity and upgrading safety and security systems, as part of efforts to ease the Hajj Pilgrimage, he said.

Banten confirmed that this year’s Hajj was going as planned and was living up to pilgrim’s expectations. The arrival of pilgrims to their destinations was much more accurate, thanks to the efforts of all related bodies, he added.

“Modern technology has also contributed to this success. All buses are equipped with the latest technology to guide them to the correct locations. As for grouping the pilgrims, we have also set up precise plans to make sure that pilgrims can safely get to their endpoints,” the minister added.