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17/02/09 - RAPID HELPS MEDINA HAJ PILGRIMS

RAPID, the Middle East's largest provider of powered access equipment, is currently supplying equipment in the holy city of Medina.

Rapid KSA has provided a 28 mtr & 22 mtr booms to assist in erection of hydraulically operated umbrella system to cover Medina Haram, so that future pilgrims can comfortably perform Umrah & Haj.

Medina [Al Madinah, Yathrib] is the second most important holy city of Islam, the refuge of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) after his flight from Mecca. It is located in a well-watered oasis 180 km/ 110 miles east of the Red Sea. The chief building there is the large mosque, which contains the tombs of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), his daughter Fatima and the Caliph Omar. When making the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, usually a visit to Medina is part of the trip.

It's every Muslim's ambition, once in a lifetime, to visit the holy cities of Islam. At Hajj over 2 million people make the pilgrimage every year. With temperatures at Medina reaching 45°C and above, giant umbrellas are used to protect pilgrims from the ill effects of sun and heat

The Medina Retractable Umbrellas were designed by SL Rasch, woven by Cramer GmbH and fabricated by Koch Hightex. Spanning the columns and court area. The 17m x 18m retractable umbrellas create the effect of a translucent vault, providing protection from the desert sun. They stand 17 m. The armatures extend to carry covers, which together give shade to almost 300 square meters. At night, the umbrellas can be closed to promote the natural cooling of the court floor.

The scope of work provided to Rapid was to provide equipment that was not only able to reach a height of up to 28 mtrs. But also had to be versatile enough so as not to damage flooring or the existing pillars, & could freely move around umbrella posts to quickly & efficiently assist in erection, membrane attachment & testing.

For this work, Rapid had to also adjust our service support timings as project contractors could often only get permission to work throughout the night. Rapid also took into account the fact that the work areas were not only confined & public spaces of major importance to Muslims worldwide - Rapid therefore provided "aprons" on equipment that would prevent any flooring damage in the event of hydraulic leakage & also provided at a later stage "wheel socks" that avoided tyre markings on marble flooring.

Efficiency & safety were also of major importance to Rapid, who provided 24 hour local support from Rapid Jeddah depot & ongoing support & after-sales maintenance and breakdown coverage after delivery.

Rapid are proud to work on this project that will bring comfort to pilgrims worldwide when present at the holy city of Medina.

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