Baghdad: The Supreme Committee for Mass Religious Pilgrimages issued directives on Sunday regarding preparations for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, emphasizing the event's global significance as a large-scale religious gathering that reflects values of solidarity and generosity. According to Iraqi News Agency, the Joint Operations Command stated that Lieutenant General Qais Al-Mohammadawi, Deputy Commander of Joint Operations and head of the Higher Committee for Mass Pilgrimages, continued to hold specialized conferences with relevant authorities. Al-Mohammadawi chaired an expanded conference at the command headquarters on Sunday, attended by the head of the Border Ports Commission, officials and directors from the Ministry of Interior, and police commanders from the provinces of Babil, Najaf, Diwaniyah, Muthanna, Dhi Qar, Wasit, and the holy city of Samarra via closed-circuit television. The conference addressed the implementation of plans related to the Border Ports Commission, arrangements for receiving pilgri ms, and the Ministry of Interior's operational plan for securing the commemoration of Arbaeen, which marks the fortieth day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (pbuh). Participants reviewed the latest security and service preparations and discussed mechanisms for enhanced coordination among security forces and supporting service agencies to ensure maximum protection and smooth movement for pilgrims arriving from inside and outside Iraq. Discussions also covered principles of maneuverability and force endurance for security units. Al-Mohammadawi issued several recommendations, including organizing designated transportation areas for pilgrims to prevent congestion and overcrowding. He also emphasized the need to activate the role of traffic and civil defense units across all routes, enhance emergency patrols to provide immediate support and secure roads and vital intersections throughout the pilgrimage period, and focus on protecting pilgrims during night-time movement. Al-Mohammadawi highlighted the major im portance of the Arbaeen pilgrimage as a global mass event that embodies values of cohesion and giving. He called for the combined efforts of all security and service agencies to present the occasion in a dignified manner befitting its significance to Muslims and its humanitarian and spiritual dimensions before the world.