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Food

There are lots of food options in addition to what your tour operator provides. I recommend you become familiar with Arabic cuisine, and know which dishes you enjoy. Arabic food is lighter.  Hajj is busy and you want to maintain a light stomach.  Most tour groups provide a mix of Arabic and other food choices.  The food hall in the clock tower has a lot of American chains in addition to local food.
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Extra Umrahs

Extra Umrahs are not a requirement for Hajj.  But for many pilgrims they want to perform extra Umrahs. First perform Umrah for yourself.  This is key. Your travel group will most likely assist you to perform your 1st Umrah, normally very soon after arriving into Makkah. If you are spending additional days in Makkah, you will have time to perform extra Umrahs.  It is approximately about 3-4 hours to complete.  I suggest only doing 1 Umrah per day. Performing extra Umrahs should only be done if you are fit enough.  If you plan to do extra Umrahs, in your preparations for Hajj at home make it a goal to walk 5km at a brisk pace daily.  The most difficult part may be the Tawaf because there can be a lot of pushing especially if you do your tawaf on the Mataf (the ground floor).  The Sai is more distance but it it performed in an air conditioned hall and there tends to be less people. Your travel agent wants to minimize risk. Consequently they are on...
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Not your grandparent's Grand Mosque

Hajj needs to be accessible to all Muslims, which does require upgraded infrastructure.  The Saudi Government has implemented many changes to the Grand Mosque and the surrounding neighbourhoods. It is a difficult balance to increase hotel rooms and restrooms while at the same time preserving the area.   There should be a safe place for everyone while at the same time there should be a way to preserve and honour the rich tradition and history of the past. Here are a few articles to help prepare your expectations upon arriving at the Grand Mosque. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/opinion/the-destruction-of-mecca.html https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/oct/23/mecca-architecture-hajj1 https://www.citylab.com/equity/2016/09/has-mecca-become-a-disneyland-for-the-rich/499766/
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