During the third scientific session titled, "Environment and Health" headed by Dr. Usama bin Fadhl Al-Bar, Mayor of Holy Makkah Municipality, discussions of researchers and the interested in Hajj and Umrah focused on a number of projects. This was through six worksheets, the first of which was presented by Eng. Ali bin Suleiman Allawi, from Environment and Development for Quality Systems Institution, about “Food Services Provided to Pilgrims - a Vision for a Distinctive Industry.” In the sheet, Dr. Allawi pointed to the significance of raising the level of pilgrims’ catering by employing the latest food technologies to produce meals accessible to them to meet the KSA Vision 2030 in facilitating Hajj and Umrah, achieving a profitable return for investors and reducing waste of resources. He also pointed out to the need to provide pilgrims with distinctive, hygienically safe and nutritious food services, indicating that food services became a vision for the future, prosperous industry, and distinctive service.

In the same context, Dr. Allawi drew attention to the rapid development witnessed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from cooking inside homes and tents, to restaurants, banquet kitchens, catering kitchens and ready meals at the present time. He added that this was in addition to the variety of the way meals was served from collective eating to the automated and sealed individual packages.

On the other hand, the session was attended by the researchers: Dr. Abdulrahman Mutlaq Al-Khattabi (from the Science, Technology and Innovation Unit at the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque), Dr. Turki Muhammad Habibullah, Dr. Essam Abdel Halim Morsi and Dr. Fathi Fawzi Shaaban (from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research, UQU), Abdullah Dakhilullah Al-Mahmadi (from the Operation and Maintenance Department at the Prophet's Mosque Agency) and Asem Nashwan (Consultant at the Operations and Maintenance Department at the Grand Mosque). The researchers concluded that the operation of the sprinkler system in the yards of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque required the installation of sensors around the perimeter of such sprinklers to stop operation when relative humidity reached 40%, the percentage at which thermal stress increased. Moreover, they stressed the need for permanent and continuous cleaning of the sprinklers to increase the rate of spray flow, and thus increase the perimeter of their impact.

In the same regard, the researchers pointed out to the usefulness of sprinklers in reducing external air temperatures to an average of 9 ° C. They added that the cooling load of the sprinklers could reach 52 kW per single spray fan in the yards of the Grand Mosque with a cooling efficiency exceeding 50%. In addition, this saved 70% of the electric energy compared to the energy required by the Freon cooling system to obtain the same cooling load. Thus, the researchers said that this helped reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80%, indicating that such system helped to significantly reduce the electric energy consumed to provide thermal comfort, which was environmentally friendly.  

In the same session, Researcher Dr. Abdullah bin Faisal Al-Sibai from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research participated with a worksheet titled, "Study of the Organic Waste Resulting from the Catering Service in the Houses of Pilgrims in Makkah and Ways to Decrease Them to Reduce Waste." Through the sheet, Dr. Al-Sibai confirmed that an unusual serving contributed to the formation of the largest percentage of food waste at the houses of pilgrims from Europe and America by 98% of the total organic waste generated by such houses. He also noted that the leftovers of edible foods, mainly rice, meat, and bread, at pilgrims' houses generally ranged between 49-98% (average 76%) of the total organic waste produced.

In the same context, Dr. Al-Sibai pointed out that the methods of meal provision for pilgrims at their houses, such as open buffet, set menu and ready meals, varied widely causing a difference in the proportions of waste. He attributed the reason for that to the low quality of provided meals, the inadequate provision of meals, the lack of suitable conditions for their delivery places, and the excessive variety of food items.

He pointed to the need to take into account the health conditions of pilgrims with chronic diseases, by providing them with appropriate food. He added that approximately 76% of the organic waste could have been avoided if an appropriate mechanism had been put in place to make the most of the feeding service and stop the waste.

Within the same framework, Dr. Hassan Qasim Muhammad Haridi, Dr. Abdul-Elah Abdul-Ghani Al-Fatani and Dr. Abdul-Rashid Yasin Ayoub from Hail Region Directorate General for Health Affairs participated in the session with a scientific paper titled, “The Study of Health Workers’ Readiness and Acceptance of Risks in Dealing with Possible Cases of MERS-Cov in an Emergency Hospital at the Holy Places in Mina during the Hajj Season of 1437H /2016AD.” The researchers stressed the readiness of medical service providers in Mina Emergency Hospital in dealing with possible cases of MERS-Cov, indicating that despite the concern of workers about the possibility of infection, the level of risk acceptance among them was high. In addition, they called for intensified efforts to alleviate such fears through training programs and the provision of protection means.

During the session, Dr. Omar Bashir Ahmad (from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research), Dr. Yaser Muhammad Eid (from the College of Design at UQU) and Prof. Huda Muhammad Eleit (from the College of Design and Home Economics) participated with a scientific paper titled, “Self-Cleansing of the Kaaba Covering (Kiswah) Using Nano Titanium Technology." The researchers concluded that the treatment of the cloth covering the Kaaba with Nano titanium dioxide gave it the ability of continuous cleansing, and reduced the growth of microbes, whether bacteria or fungus, for long times, pointing to the need to apply such technology in the manufacturing of the Kaaba Kiswah.

They added that such method worked as catalysts to break organic matter and germs so that the fabrics could be self-purified. This could be achieved by treating fabrics with a very thin film of Nano titanium dioxide, which acted as a catalyst for breaking and removing substances of dirt, odor, bacteria, colored stains and harmful organic matter.

Within the same vein, Dr. Shawkat Muhammad Fathi Abdullatif (from the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University), in addition to Dr. Bassam Hussein Mushat, Dr. Ibrahim Hussein Ahmad Abdul-Rahim, and Dr. Osama Attallah (from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research) participated in the session with a scientific paper titled, “Evaluation of the Experience of Utilizing the Leftovers of the Modern Butchery (B) of the KSA Project for the Use of Adahi and Hadi Meat.” The paper demonstrated the significance of making the most of the meat waste of Adahi and Hadi sheep. It cited an actual and practical experience to benefit from the liver as one of the important and fit-for-human-consumption organs to be a model that could be repeated in the rest of the other organs. It was explained that the actual time taken to process the acceptable livers was calculated over a specified period until they were put into freezers. Finally, the paper pointed out to the need to develop a scientific and practical strategic plan for the sustainable utilization of all organs suitable for human consumption and other animal waste.