Makkah: Millions of Muslims pilgrims, marking one of the final rituals of the annual Hajj, celebrated Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) holiday on Friday, when they proceed to Mina, a small village east of Makkah, and throw stones at the devil.
Following the symbolic stoning of the devil, Muslim pilgrims also perform the ritual of sacrificing sheep and cattle, marking the first day of Eid al-Adha.
The day marks the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage and Muslims around the world celebrate the following three days in honor of the occasion.
The rituals of Hajj pilgrimage officially started on Wednesday when around three million pilgrims launched their journey to Mina.
The Saudi government has given top priority to the security and safety of pilgrims and has deployed thousands of security forces in Makkah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, all cities within a radius of 10 kilometers, to ensure a safe and secure Hajj.
Over the past decade Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars expanding the Grand Mosque and building new infrastructure to avert the stampedes and tent fires that marred past pilgrimages with hundreds of deaths.
In 2011, Saudi Arabia began the biggest expansion yet of the Grand Mosque, to increase its capacity to 2 million. A new railway will link the holy sites around Makkah.
This year alone, the kingdom spent more than 1.1 billion riyals ($293.3 million) on development projects in the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, all outside Makkah, according to a report.
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