Saudi Arabia to Build Monorail

Vice-Minister for Urban and Rural Areas Saudi Arabia Habib Zain Al-Abidine in early November 2009 made the comments encouraging for prospective pilgrims (calhaj) from around the world.

The statement contains the government of Saudi Arabia will build a mass transit system to facilitate the pilgrims who move from one place to another, especially when the implementation of Standing at Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina.

Mass transit monorail system in question is capable of carrying about half a million people operating within six to eight hours, he said as quoted by Arab News.

Vice-Minister for Urban and Rural Areas of Saudi Arabia was also explained that during the pilgrimage season, about three million Muslims and Muslim women from across the Islamic world, including Indonesia Calhaj 221,000 gathered to perform the fifth pillar of Islam in the Holy Land.

In Mecca, calhaj do tawaf (circling the Kaaba seven times), Sa'i (jog between Mount Safa and Marwa in the Haram compound.)

The distance from Mecca to Mina seven miles, Mina - Mudzalifah five km and Mudzalifah - Arafat nine km. Thus, the distance between Mecca and Arafat whole 21 km.

It is expected that if mega projects worth 6.75 monorail Riyal (around Rp16, 5 billion) is completed, according to Al-Abidine, then about 30,000 vehicles a bus or other transportation is possible would not be operated again.

Mega project is expected to reduce the complexity of the dizzying traffic of pilgrims during the Haj season. Of course, once the first phase of this project is considered successful, will be expanded to other cities in Saudi Arabia.

Monorail system implemented in the form of a magnetic train that drove on the bridge overpass (about eight feet above ground level) so as not to interfere with other transport systems.

The issue of transportation from lodging calhaj to the Grand Mosque in Mecca, especially for calhaj Indonesia had always complained from year to year.

In l430 H pilgrimage season ago, the Organizing Committee Haji Indonesia (Industrial Relations Dispute Resolution) hired 315 buses to transport approximately 191,500 calhaj. In 1431 Haj season H/2010 M, buses were hired not too much, only about 200 buses, declined due to lodging closer to the Grand Mosque. Indonesian pilgrims hostel, about 67 percent near the Grand Mosque.

The question that always arises, in Mecca at the peak pilgrimage season is congestion and congestion of vehicles on roads in the middle of town to the Grand Mosque so that makes chaotic schedule of the buses "shuttle" provided.