Saudi Arabia bans children’s strollers in mataf area

Riyadh: The authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) recently imposed a ban on children’s strollers in the circumambulation area around the Holy Kaaba known as the mataf in the Grand Mosque in Makkah, local media reported.

The decision was announced by the Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque’s General Authority to improve safety and streamline crowd management within the premises.

However, they are allowed on the upper floors of the mataf and in the ma’sa area, where the ritual between Safa and Marwa occurs within the mosque. The entry of strollers will be permitted through the King Fahd Expansion area, the Arabic daily Okaz reported.

The authority stated that children’s strollers are also prohibited from entering the Grand Mosque if there is crowding on the Mataf and Masa’a floors.

The Saudi government is prioritizing the provision of comprehensive facilities and arrangements to facilitate the ease and comfort of Haj and Umrah pilgrims’ rituals.

Millions of Muslims, who cannot physically or financially afford the annual Haj, flock to Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah pilgrimage.

On Monday, January 8, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s minister of Haj and Umrah, Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, said that the number of Umrah pilgrims coming from abroad during the year 2023 has achieved a historic record of 13.55 million.

Saudi Arabia anticipates 10 million foreign Muslims to participate in the current Umrah pilgrimage.