Makkah, Dec. 4, 2008 --The Chairman of the UAE official Hajj Mission, Mohammed Obaid Al-Mazrue, Thursday morning held two separate meetings here at the premises of the mission.

In his first meeting with the Hajj contractors, Al-Mazrue reminded them about the need to provide all the required services to UAE pilgrims under their care throughout the religious trip. He urged them to boost the level of their services to the pilgrims, particularly during the epic period of the pilgrimage in Mina and Arafat, by ensuring the welfare and comfort of the pilgrims under their care.

Al- Mazrue stressed the need for the contractors to act fast in crisis and emergency cases by having in hand options for all possibilities and warned that stiff penalty would be slapped on any contractor who failed to fully discharge his responsibilities towards his pilgrims.

A number of contractors lost their licenses in the past years for having violated the rules and regulations laid down by the UAE Hajj authorities.

Deputy Chairman of the UAE Official Hajj Mission, Hamad Yusuf Al-Mualla, urged the contractors to turn to the mission anytime they encounter problems that require the mission's intervention.

He pointed out that his outfit is conducting two separate opinion polls, one for the Hajj contractors and the other for the pilgrims to have detailed views of the pilgrims about the contractors and their services. He said the polls, which aim mainly at improving Hajj operation in the UAE, is being conducted based on a request from the Federal National Council.

Al Mualla urged the contractors, who felt the inspection committee had not been fair to them to report to the Official Hajj Mission. "We are with you and not against you", he told them.

In his second meeting with the medical teams accompanying the mission and all UAE contractors, Al-Mazrue, who expressed satisfaction with the performance of the doctors, thanked them for doing a good job. He urged them to maximize the use of the services introduced this year by the mission, particular, the newly introduced mobile medical team, which will be moving to the residence of all UAE pilgrims for emergency healthcare delivery and the three hotlines set up for medical enquiries by the pilgrims.

The Head of the Mission's medical team, Dr. Abdul Karim Al-Zarouni, announced the launching of a campaign to tackle the spread of high blood pressure and diabetes among UAE pilgrims.

Dubbed "The Early Detection of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure", the campaign aims at providing UAE pilgrims with updated information about their health status and help in the preparation of a database on those suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure in the UAE, in general and among the pilgrims, in particular, to avoid complications during the pilgrimage.

Al-Zarouni said the campaign, which is part of nationwide campaign launched by the UAE Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Official Hajj Mission, will not overshadow the work of the medical teams accompanying the various Hajj contractors, but seeks to boost their efforts.(WAM/SA-- -WAM/MN)