JEDDAH
Governor of Mecca, Prince Khalid on Tuesday said that aside from 3.1 million people who came to Saudi Arabia from 186 countries in 2012, 1.4 million people performed their duties as Muslim hadjis unofficially.
Umrah in 2013 will begin at the end of January while expanding the Kaaba will begin again once cleaning has been completed following the hajj in 2012.
"Despite a record number of hadjis, the hajj period in 2012 was completed successfully," Prince Khalid noted.
Saudi Interior Minister Prince Ahmad underlined that 16,000 police officers served during the hajj period in 2012 and that the season was completed successfully.
"We provided security services with 3,500 cameras placed in all corners of Mecca and Madina," Prince Ahmad said.
64.3 percent of all hadjis in 2012 were male.
60,000 staff members from various ministries served the hadjis in Saudi Arabia.
During the hajj period in 2012, 362,740 hadjis received health services.
One million sheep, camels and cows were sacrificed during the hajj period and the meat obtained were sent to poor countries across the globe.
