8 million visit Makkah during first 10 days of Ramazan

Director of the Hajj and Umrah Public Administration says numbers show an increase of 49% from last year

Some eight million worshippers have visited the Holy Kaabah in Makkah during the first 10 days of Ramazan, according to the Hajj and Umrah Public Administration in the governorate of Makkah region.

“The numbers show an increase of 49% from last year,” Director of the Hajj and Umrah Public Administration in Makkah Dr Salah Saqr said, according to Al Arabiya.

“More than eight million passengers were transported during the first 10 days of Ramazan,” Dr Saqr added.

Read: Ramazan starts Thursday in Saudi Arabia

More than 38,000 vehicles transported visitors to the Grand Mosque, registering an increase of 25% from last year during the same period.

The General Presidency of the Affairs of the two Holy Mosques has upgraded facilities in the Grand Mosque. Six new plasma screens have been installed inside the mosque and its courtyards for broadcasting prayers and announcements in multiple languages.

Read: Moon-shy: Ramazan to commence from Friday in Pakistan

Provision has been made for an ample supply of electronic wheel chairs and golf carts for visitors with special needs.

The holy month of Ramazan began in Saudi Arabia on June 18 and in Pakistan on June 19.

More than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world are marking the month, during which believers abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn until sunset.

This article originally appeared on Al Arabiya.