Photos: Meet the female Saudi officers guarding the Grand Mosque in Mecca
Women can be recruited as soldiers, lance corporals, corporals, sergeants, staff sergeants
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Saudi policewomen stand guard as worshippers circumambulate the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the holy Saudi city of Mecca. The Eid al-Adha, or "Feast of Sacrifice", marks the end of the annual pilgrimage or Hajj to the Saudi holy city of Mecca and is celebrated in remembrance of Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son to God.
Image Credit: AFP
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Saudi police women, who are recently deployed to the service, from right to left, Samar, Alaa, and Bashair, stand alert in front of the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca.
Image Credit: AP
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Dozens of female officers are currently deployed in Makkah and Madinah, providing security and managing worshippers at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.
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Saudi police female officers check documents of pilgrims as they arrive to perform their final Tawaf in the Grand Mosque, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
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The fact that their daily work is now considered a matter of course is a signal achievement of the Kingdom’s five-year-old Vision 2030.
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The 113-strong all-female batch of military-trained officers stationed at the Prophet’s Mosque Saudi police woman was created few months ago. Above, Samar, who is recently deployed to the service, stands alert in front of the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque.
Image Credit: AP
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It is part of the homeland security branch of Saudi Arabia’s Special Security Forces.
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Saudi police woman, Bashair, left, adjusts the veil of her colleague Alaa, as they recently deployed to the service at the Grand Mosque, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, in the Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca.
Image Credit: AP
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Saudi policewomen stand guard as worshippers circumambulate the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand mosque in the holy Saudi city of Mecca.
Image Credit: AFP
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The officers work round the clock in four teams of nearly 18 members each.
Image Credit: REUTERS