Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims moved to Muzdalifah to prepare for Eid al-Adha (feast of sacrifice) after a day of prayer on the holy Mount of Arafat.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims moved to Muzdalifah to prepare for Eid al-Adha (feast of sacrifice) after a day of prayer on the holy Mount of Arafat.

In a press statement carried by the state news agency (SPA), Chairman of Hajj Central Committee Saudi Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz announced that the plan to have pilgrims descend from the peak of Hajj in Arafat Mount down to Muzdalifah valley was successfully completed.

He added that the transportation plan, using holy shrines train and bus shuttle trips, was carried out in a record time without a single accident reported.

Thousands of security men were deployed to organize the traffic flowing into Muzdalifah, which only comes to life during the five days of the hajj.

Pilgrims will spend the night at Muzdalifah, halfway between Arafat and Mina, where they also collect pebbles which will be thrown in the Stoning of the Devil ritual in Mina during the next three or four days.

Earlier in the day men, women and children from across the Muslim world flooded the roads to Arafat chanting "Labaik Allahum Labaik" (At your service, Oh God), as they observed the peak of the hajj.

Helicopters hovered overhead and thousands of Saudi troops stood guard.
Many pilgrims camped in small colourful tents or took shelter under trees to escape temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).