Minister of the Interior Prince Nayef Ibn Abdul Aziz today made an inspection tour of the holy places, and was briefed on arrangements for services to the pilgrims, including the new project for fire-proof tents at Mina. In his tour he visited the Saudi Red Crescent Society, which has prepared 119 first aid centers provided with 325 fully-equipped ambulances, and having over 1,900 medical personnel at the disposal of the pilgrims. 

Later, he visited the PTT branch in Mina, and inaugurated the telephone expansion project which adds 27 mobile stations to the network serving the holy sites. This covers the Makkah-Jeddah expressway and the Makkah-Madinah road. Six stations were established on the Makkh-Taif road, in addition to 25 on the Riyadh-Taif highway. Digital exchanges of more than 10,000 lines have been implemented in Makkah Province, and a 5,000-line-capacity exchange has been set up in the holy sites, with a 700-line capacity unit at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, and 28,000 operating circuits scattered among domestic and international exchanges to absorb the expected increase in calls. There are now 571 telephone cabins in Makkah and the holy sites, offering more than 7,000 telephone lines with 7,000 operators. The installation of 500 new card telephone booths brings their number to 2,000, and with 4,500 new coin-operated telephone booths, their total is now 13,500.

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