Saudi's Adahi Project Delivers Sacrificial Meat To 30m Needy People In 27 Countries

Saudi's Adahi Project Delivers Sacrificial Meat To 30m Needy People In 27 Countries

02 September 2017

Adahi is a Saudi Arabian project to distribute Hajj meat to over 30 million people in 27 different countries in Asia and Africa.

During previous Hajj seasons, people used to freeze and ship the excess meat from lamb sacrifices to their countries.

The abundance of meat during Hajj became a problem over the years. Pilgrims could not eat all the sacrificed meat and it was left on the streets, causing a sanitation crisis, bad smells and disease. The authorities then would bury the meat.

Saudi scholar Saeed Al-Amoudi told Al-Hayat that the increase of pollution caused by the lamb sacrifices led the Kingdom to take the first initiative in 1983 to avoid such waste and to help the poor. The Kingdom assigned the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to manage the project along with Saudi government authorities.

In 2000, the Adahi project was developed, with over 40,000 employees working in different fields such as management, supervision, slaughtering, shipping and distribution. Every year, 30,000 lambs, cows and camels are slaughtered to be distributed to 30 million poor people and refugees in 27 different countries in Asia and Africa.

A center for treating the excess meat was also established. The center is capable of processing 500 tons of waste per day and turning it into natural fertilizers, separated from the extracted fat that can be used in factories. Thus, the center is able to get rid of the excess meat in an eight-day period following the Hajj.

This unique project emphasizes the creative ideology of turning problems into innovative solutions, and stresses the efforts of the Kingdom to provide a better life for the less fortunate.

US pilgrims: Hajj shows tolerance, peace and patience among Muslims

US pilgrims said the Hajj was an annual gathering in which pilgrims feel fraternity and unity. They also praised the Kingdom's efforts to organize the crowds.

Arab News surveyed several American pilgrims in Mina to learn their feelings about the Hajj, and the organization and preparedness they witnessed.

At the residence of the American pilgrims, Annewil Junil Camsel, a US citizen residing in Haiti, said that the whole world appreciates the ability of the Saudis to organize and control such massive crowds. "The hosting of more than 2 million pilgrims over a few days, and in a narrow geographical area, is very difficult," he said.

Camsel also said "Saudi society is good, tolerant and cooperative." He mentioned that he had lost his way when trying to find his tent, and when he approached several Saudis for directions, they insisted on taking him to its location.

Mutawwif Zaki Kamal of the National Tawafa Establishment for Pilgrims of Turkey and Muslims of Europe, Americas and Australia, said that the "35 office" provides all necessary facilities and guidance and helps pilgrims perform their pilgrimage with ease.

"The American pilgrims love reading books, visiting historical places in Makkah and reading the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)," Kamal said. He also pointed out "American pilgrims are organized and committed to all schedules."

American pilgrim Mu'in Al-Haq said he came from the southern United States and this was his seventh pilgrimage. He said he "used to organize travel arrangements for Americans coming to Makkah during the Hajj season," and that he has a great desire to revisit the holy sites as often as he can.

"Hajj is a global forum that allows everyone to have the opportunity to meet and become acquainted with each other, and share experiences. It is a universal occasion that brings together Muslims who are tolerant, equal in dress, rights and duties," said Aref Hussein, an American pilgrim from Atlanta.

Hussein, who works for a gas company, said this was the fourth time he had come to Makkah on Hajj, which has allowed him to see new developments every year.

"The presence of Muslims from all over the world in Makkah at a specific time reflects the true meaning of life, and also shows the pilgrim as a lover of peace and coexistence, who renounces hatred," he said.

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