Over 2 million prepare for Haj climax

As they walked into the valley, they were greeted by a sea of white tents as far as the eye could see. At one end was the massive multistoried concrete structure of the Jamarat, with Masjid Al-Khaif one side and Masjid Al-Kuwaiti at the far end. Pilgrims traversed through a maze of roads to reach their tents. Vehicles were not allowed inside the tent city. The pilgrims were dropped off at various bridges and walked to their camps, ARAB NEWS reports. Once inside, the pilgrims prayed Dhuhr, Asr, Maghreb and Isha. The able-bodied walked to Masjid Al-Khaif to say their prayers. Inside the massive mosque, they recited verses from the Qur'an. It was scenes full of piety and devotion to Allah. Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Naif said a total of 1,389,053 foreign pilgrims have arrived for Haj this year from 163 countries. Among them 757,981 are men and 631,072 women. "There was an increase of 8,545 pilgrims or 0.6 percent compared to 2013," he said. Of this year's foreign pilgrims, 1,315,850 came by air, 59,204 by land and 13,999 by sea. As the day wore on, the intense heat subsided and a light wind sprang up, cooling the city considerably, making it more pleasant for the pilgrims. "I no longer feel alone," said Nasser Aref from Syria. "We had to endure a lot of hardship to come here. The fact that we are alive is a miracle," he said and narrated the difficulties that his family had faced in escaping from Aleppo on their way to the Haj. Read more here