Catering companies use cutting-edge solutions to serve 12 million Hajj meals
MAKKAH: As Saudi Arabia gears up for another Hajj season, an intricate web of preparation is unfolding across Makkah, in which catering services are a critical backbone of the operation.
The Kingdom's comprehensive approach to serving Islam's pilgrims combines early strategic planning, seamless inter-agency coordination, and technological innovation to ensure millions can perform their sacred duties safely and comfortably.
Officials have unveiled the scope of this year's food service operation: 380 catering companies working in concert to deliver up to 12 million meals during the pilgrimage.
The service is a logistical challenge that extends far beyond simply feeding crowds — it is about maintaining food safety, nutritional quality and operational efficiency under extraordinary circumstances, alongside the smart transition to electric cooking in the kitchens of the holy sites, contributing to improved food quality, enhanced safety, and reduced environmental risks in one of the greatest rituals of the Islamic world.
Mohammed Al-Sharif, who heads the association responsible for catering at Makkah's holy sites, emphasized the government's commitment to pilgrim welfare.
'The leadership has spared no expense in serving the guests of pilgrims,' he said, noting the direct oversight provided by Makkah's municipal authorities.
The preparation process has been methodical and intensive. Six planning meetings addressed potential obstacles and elevated service standards.
He explained that the meetings were held to assess preparations, address obstacles, and tackle challenges in a way that contributes to raising the quality of services provided.
Al-Sharif highlighted the productive partnership with the ministry of health in establishing comprehensive food safety oversight systems. This collaboration has resulted in extensive training programs for quality control supervisors at all catering companies.
These preparations involve simulation exercises by catering contractors, carried out in the presence of security personnel and regulatory officials, as stress tests for the entire food service system.
The virtual trials are designed to identify and resolve any potential operational weaknesses before the pilgrimage officially commences.
He also noted that the municipality in Makkah, in cooperation with the ministry of commerce, verified food stocks and confirmed their readiness.
He concluded his statement by emphasizing that all agencies are working at full capacity to provide the best services to pilgrims.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Saini, who owns catering companies, confirmed that preparations are proceeding at full pace, emphasizing the efforts of all relevant authorities to provide the best and finest services to pilgrims and working day and night for their comfort and care for their food.
'The conditions during Hajj differ fundamentally from the rest of the year,' he said, highlighting the distinct operational requirements between different phases of the pilgrimage — from the Day of Arafat and Muzdalifah to the extended period in Mina.
He pointed out that the Kingdom, under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, continues to develop the Hajj system year after year, whether through distributing locations to Hajj companies in studied ways, or through improving crowd management mechanisms and organizing traffic flow, which reflects on service quality and pilgrim safety.
Al-Saini described the process of providing food and drink as a 'major challenge,' but the new systems that allowed food preparation in advance in model kitchens in Makkah and later transporting it to the holy sites for cooking and serving directly contributed to improving meal quality and distribution efficiency.
Al-Saini highlighted developments witnessed in kitchens at the holy sites, where kerosene gas was replaced with electric cooking, leading to improved safety levels and cooking speed, and reducing environmental and health risks.
He praised national efforts to serve pilgrims, confirming that the repeated successes achieved each year are the fruit of advance planning, integration between different agencies, and continuous commitment to innovation in providing the best services to pilgrims.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
2 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
4 exhibitions at the Prophet's Mosque courtyards that bring Islamic heritage to life
Saudi Gazette report MADINAH — Several exhibitions and knowledge centers within the courtyards and halls of the Prophet's Mosque are offering enriching cultural and educational experiences to pilgrims and visitors during the Hajj season, showcasing the depth of Islamic heritage and the warm hospitality of Madinah. Among the key attractions is the Exhibition on the Architecture of the Prophet's Mosque, located in the southern square opposite exits 308 and 309. Open daily from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the exhibition highlights the architectural evolution of the mosque through interactive displays and modern presentation techniques. Nearby, the International Exhibition of the Prophet's Biography, situated in front of exits 306 and 307, operates from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The exhibition offers visitors a contemporary, immersive experience into the life and character of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), presenting his values and message through multimedia Facility 204 in the southern square, the Rare Manuscripts Exhibition welcomes guests from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 features a remarkable collection of historical manuscripts, documents, and inscriptions that chronicle the development of Islamic calligraphy and literature across the Prophet's Mosque Library, located near Gate 10 on the western side, provides around-the-clock services to comprises several specialized sections, including rare books, manuscripts, an audio library, and various technical Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, situated inside the mosque near the Uthman Gate, is a key destination for scholars and houses more than 4,000 original manuscripts, around 60,000 digital manuscripts, 4,600 imaged manuscripts, as well as 250 handwritten Qur'ans and 200 printed Qur' section operates in two shifts: from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Healthy demand — pumpkin production on the rise in Qassim
BURAIDAH: It may be classed as a fruit, but pumpkin has become a key ingredient in cuisines around the world, thanks to its versatility and nutritional value. And in Qassim, thanks to a favorable climate and agricultural conditions coupled with rising local demand, pumpkin production is enjoying significant growth. Recorded health benefits of eating pumpkin include enhanced vision and better immunity. It also supports heart health, helps weight loss and promotes healthy skin and hair, as well as providing important nutrients and being low in calories. Farmer Saleh bin Hamad Al-Saab spoke to the media about his experience of growing the fruit. Possible, beneficial and promising 'Pumpkin cultivation in Qassim is not only possible, but also beneficial and promising,' he said. 'There are different kinds, including field pumpkin, butternut squash, kabocha squash, and even spaghetti squash, which is gaining increasing popularity.' Each variety has its own uses and benefits. Field pumpkin is used in soups and baked goods, while butternut squash is a rich source of beta-carotene and spaghetti squash is a healthier alternative to pasta. As for white pumpkin, it is especially popular for festive decorations and seasonal occasions. Al-Saab said that as pumpkin did not need huge amounts of water or pesticides to grow successfully, and it could be stored for long periods without deteriorating, it was considered a promising economic crop. Drip irrigation systems and the cultivation of diverse varieties have also significantly enhanced crop quality and boosted productivity. The farmer highlighted the public's growing awareness of pumpkin as a healthy food choice and said there were a number of opportunities to develop other industries around the crop, such as juices, dehydrated foods and cosmetics. This promising crop supports local food safety and achieves notable economic revenues, reflecting the agricultural sector's role in meeting the Kingdom's sustainable development targets.
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UNICEF: Gaza Faces Man-made Drought as Water Systems Collapse
Gaza is facing a man-made drought as its water systems collapse, the United Nations' children agency said on Friday. "Children will begin to die of thirst ... Just 40% of drinking water production facilities remain functional," UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva. "We are way below emergency standards in terms of drinking water for people in Gaza," he added, according to Reuters. UNICEF also reported a 50% increase in children aged six months to 5 years admitted for treatment of malnutrition from April to May in Gaza, and half a million people going hungry. It said the US-backed aid distribution system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was "making a desperate situation worse." On Friday at least 25 people awaiting aid trucks or seeking aid were killed by Israeli fire south of Netzarim in central Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities. On Thursday at least 51 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and military strikes, including 12 people who tried to approach a site operated by the GHF in the central Gaza Strip. Elder, who was recently in Gaza, said he had many testimonials of women and children injured while trying to receive food aid, including a young boy who was wounded by a tank shell and later died of his injuries. He said a lack of public clarity on when the sites, some of which are in combat zones, were open was causing mass casualty events. "There have been instances where information (was) shared that a site is open, but then it's communicated on social media that they're closed, but that information was shared when Gaza's internet was down and people had no access to it," he said. On Wednesday, the GHF said in a statement it had distributed three million meals across three of its aid sites without an incident. On Friday at least 12 people were killed in an airstrike on a house belonging to the Ayyash family in Deir Al-Balah, taking the day's death toll to 37.
