ISLAMABAD: The Makkah Municipality of Saudi Arabia has announced that new pedestrian road leading to Arafat from Makkah is nearing completion and will be opened before the next Haj season, a senior official said.

Director of the municipality's department of parks and public utilities told the Makkah newspaper that the first and second stages of the road project have already been completed and work is going smoothly on the third and final phase.

"The road will no doubt be the longest walkway in the whole world," hesaid. the official recalled that work on the road project started about two years ago and will be officially launched sometime in September, Arab news reported.

He said the walkway is part of a network of roads for pedestrian pilgrims to use between Arafat and the Grand Mosque..

"This network includes the parallel road of Namira Mosque and

Al-Mishaer Al-Haram Road in Muzdalifah," he said.

The director said the third and final phase of the walkway will be covered by tiles and rugs and supported by other utilities consisting of sales points, security centers, ambulance services and others.

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