Here’s how the Saudi 911 security center operates during Hajj

The Saudi National Center for Security Operations (911) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia is responsible for the security patrols, road safety, traffic, and civil defense. Here’s how it operates during Hajj:

Branches of the Saudi General Security are stationed in the center, partnering with the Red Crescent, the electricity, water, and transportation companies, as well as all the departments responsible for providing services for pilgrims.

The center aims to manage joint operations, meet all security sectors’ requirements, and achieve full integration among them in order to cope with daily incidents and to coordinate efforts during advanced accidents, according the Saudi Ministry of Interior’s website.

The center receives around 35,000 phone calls on an ordinary day. This number increases during the Hajj season, with last year’s number reaching 80,000.

“The increase in calls indicates an increase in the number of services provided to callers rather than in the crime rate,” said Abdulrahman bin Mohammed, an official at the National Center for Security Operations (911).

There are team members in the center who speak Arabic, English, French, German, Urdu, Malaysian, and Indonesian to accommodate pilgrims from all nationalities.