The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Jeddah

A multitude of Muslims from around the world gathered in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, making their final preparations for the annual hajj pilgrimage.

Saudi officials say over 1.6 million Muslims have assembled for the hajj, which begins on Monday, the eighth day of the month of Dhi al-Hajja under the lunar calendar.

Hundreds of thousands of Saudi faithful as well as foreigners living in the desert kingdom will also be taking part.

All Muslims are required to make the hajj to Makkah, in the western region of the kingdom, at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.

Among this year's pilgrims will be Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Nearly 2.4 million people flocked to Saudi Arabia to perform the last hajj, including more than 1.6 million from outside the kingdom, which is the birthplace of Islam.

Saudi Arabia has announced that the high point of the hajj, when pilgrims converge on Mount Arafat near Makkah, will take place on Tuesday.

The following day will be Eid ul-Azha.

A total of 11,000 doctors, nurses and paramedics will be on hand to provide medical care, with 4,200 beds at 21 hospitals and 145 health centres in the holy sites of Makkah, Mina and Arafat, local media reported.

According to the official SPA news agency, 85 ambulances have also been mobilised for the occasion and health alerts will be issued in case of any outbreaks of disease.

The precautions and security measures are in place to try to prevent a repeat of the high death tolls that have often characterised past pilgrimages.

"Saudi Arabia has mobilised all the needed security and municipal forces for a smooth hajj, so hopefully we will not see any problems," the Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, who heads the hajj supreme committee told reporters on Saturday.

Local media reported that oil-rich Saudi Arabia planned to build a five billion dollar monorail network that would provide safer and faster transport for pilgrims travelling between holy sites.