Saudi Gazette report

 

MINA — Barber shops have mushroomed near the Jamarat bridge in Mina where pilgrims shave off or trim their hairs after throwing the pebbles at the Satan. This is the first step towards relinquishing their Ihram.



After the hair shave, the pilgrims can put on their plain clothes. The process of going out of the restrictions of the Ihram will be completed after the pilgrims have done the Tawaf Al-Ifada in the Grand Mosque.



The barber shops are owned and run by young Saudis who have been trained on shaving. The prices range between SR30 for complete shaving off of the hair and SR15 for shortening it.



The young Saudi barbers expressed happiness to be serving the pilgrims enabling them to complete their Haj rites of which shaving is an integral part.



The barbers use sterilized razor blades and plastic towels which are used only once before they are disposed off. The pilgrims queue for the shaving operation in a highly organized style. Each shop has a number of chairs and each chair will be hosting hundreds of the pilgrims.



There are about 1,100 licensed barber shops in Makkah in addition to the seasonal shops in Mina.



The Makkah municipality undertakes regular inspection campaigns on all these shops to ensure that they are both legal and hygienic.