E-Media:
MAKKAH - Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal yesterday inaugurated new electronic services for issuing pilgrim housing permits and health certificates. The new services are provided in association with the Makkah municipality and qualified engineering offices in the city.
Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar said the new pilgrim housing regulations allowed approved engineering offices to check housing facilities in the city before licensing them to provide housing facilities for pilgrims.
 He affirmed that the new electronic system links engineering offices with the Pilgrim’s Housing Committee. The offices will inspect the buildings and inform the committee so that it may take a final decision on issuing a license.
Al-Bar said the municipality and the Civil Defense had approved a number of engineering offices in Makkah to provide the service.
“We are studying the files of some more engineering offices in order to authorize them to provide the service,” he added.
Housing facilities are required for 1.8 million pilgrims, he said, adding that the committee had approved a number of buildings last year to house about 500,000.
Al-Bar pointed out that Permits are required for buildings to accommodate 1.3 million pilgrims this year. The committee, which is chaired by the governor, began issuing housing licenses last Monday.