Mobily hands out 1m umbrellas, prayer mats in Hajj

Mobily has prepared some half a million umbrellas and another half million prayer mats that are being currently distributed to pilgrims in the Kingdom and abroad, the company announced as part of its Hajj campaign for 2007.
To bring the gifts to pilgrims, the company had set up 38 service points in several international airports and Hajj cities in Islamic countries, as well as a number of domestic airports, seaports , hotels and to the holy sites.
The company dispatched a special team of distributors who worked around the clock at these points over the past three weeks. This is only one of many moves the company has embarked upon to make this year's Hajj season easier for millions of pilgrims and draw smiles on their faces.
"These gifts are the least the company can give to God's guests," said Eng. Khalid Bin Omar Al-Kaf, CEO of Mobily: "Our presence in international airports will make the journey easier for many pilgrims. Giving them gifts in their own countries will give them a good first impression."
He added: "We at Mobily do whatever we can to help make this year's Hajj season a success, as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' government has spared no effort to provide comfort and security to God's guests."
The mobile operator has also announced that it has begun a program with the Ministry of Hajj to dispatch more than 1.5 million awareness SMS messages to pilgrims who subscribed to its network, both in the Kingdom and abroad. Dispatched in a number of languages, the messages carry advice such as "Keep to the grouping plan to be safe from stampedes." These messages are Mobily's contribution to minimize risks for pilgrims and keep them safe as they perform their rites.
Mobily has also set up many guidance and warning signs on roads in Makkah, the holy sites and at airports.