Saudi Gazette report

MAKKAH — Pilgrims began arriving in Mina to perform the ritual of stoning the Jamarat at dawn on Friday. Pilgrims flowed to the Jamrat al-Aqaba (the biggest of the three Jamarat) utlizing all security and service capabilities from the time they began leaving Muzdalifah early Friday until their arrival at the Jamarat Bridge.

The relevant authorities have allocated multiple paths to distribute the crowds to ensure the smooth flow of pilgrims across the various floors of the Jamarat facility. The facility was constructed in an engineering marvel that took into account the distribution of the crowd density during the stoning ritual. The bridge is connected to various pedestrian bridges leading to the Mashaer train and the areas surrounding the pilgrim camps in Mina.

The pilgrims stoned the Jamarat Bridge with all security, health, ambulance and civil defense services in place, along with security personnel regulating the movement of pilgrims in the Jamarat Bridge courtyards and at its entrances and exits.

The movement of pilgrims toward the Jamarat Bridge and the surrounding areas was characterized by a gradual and safe flow in batches, distributed according to the prepared schedule. The return to their camps after the stoning was smooth with the movement of cars and pilgrims on the roads in Mina were characterized by a general flexibility.

After the pilgrims finish throwing stones at the Jamrat al-Aqaba, they move on to perform the other important and obligatory rituals of the Hajj on the day, starting with slaughtering the sacrificial animals, shaving the heads by men pilgrims, tawaf al-ifadah (the circling of the Sacred House) and walking (saii) between the mounts of Safa and Marwa.