Huawei Technology has become the largest telecom services equipment supplier for the haj, the company said yesterday.

Haj is the world's largest annual religious pilgrimage, with more than 2 million Muslims from across the world expected to gather in Mecca this year.

This is the third consecutive year that China's largest telecom services equipment supplier has got a contract in Saudi Arabia for the haj.

Meeting the pilgrims' demand is a big challenge for telecom operators. The total telecom traffic volume during last year's haj rose 30 percent, with the peak traffic volume being 19 times higher and the number of text messages and handoffs increasing 137 and 118 times, Huawei said.

The Shenzhen-based telecom company beat other rivals in switch systems, base stations and network services to become the largest supplier and partner of Saudi Telecom Company.

The network and equipment provided by Huawei have performed smoothly in the past two occasions. Huawei entered the Saudi Arabia market in 1999.

Altogether 10,804 Chinese pilgrims have reached Mecca to perform the pilgrimage, according to China Islamic Association.

(China Daily via Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2007)