Kuwaiti mission’s medical services fully prepared
Awqaf GenSec grants $600,000 to Bedouns planning Hajj
Top and above: Head of Kuwait’s Hajj delegation Al-Othaina during his tour among Kuwaiti Hajj groups.
JEDDAH, Aug 26, (KUNA): Kuwait’s Hajj mission is fully prepared to provide topnotch medical services to its pilgrims, said a Kuwaiti official Saturday.
The delegation’s team is currently distributing medicine and equipment to Kuwaiti Hajj groups in Makkah, head of the Kuwaiti delegation’s medical services Mubarak Al-Ajmi told KUNA on Saturday.
Al-Ajmi, meanwhile, called on Kuwaiti missions to follow Saudi Arabia’s health regulations for the safety of pilgrims.
On his part, head of Kuwait’s Hajj delegation Khulaif Al-Othaina affirmed that Kuwaiti Hajj groups are strictly following the rules and regulations of the Hajj and Omra law.
The delegation is well concerned about the wellbeing of Kuwaiti pilgrims and it will exert all efforts to meet their needs, said Al-Othaina in a press statement during his tour among Kuwaiti Hajj groups. He called on the group to abide by Saudi laws regarding Hajj to ensure a safe and trouble-free trip for the pilgrims.
Meanwhile, Awqaf General Secretariat announced on Saturday that it granted KD 200,000 ($600,000) to illegal residents planning to perform the Hajj, said the acting deputy general-secretary, Musaed Al-Rakhis.
The sum, which was delivered to the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, would be given to pilgrimage expeditions to help this segment of the faithful cope with the Hajj expenses, he said in a statement. The secretariat, in the past, donated KD 100,000 ($300,000) to this segment of the society to cover DNA print costs. Up to 9,580 had benefited from this financial aid. It has also aided students of limited income families to pay school fees, he said, indicating that illegal residents received some of this assistance too.
Al-Rakhis urged citizens willing to contribute to the donation to contact the secretariat. Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs, Mohammad Al-Jabri, has recently declared that the secretariat and Al-Zakat House together earmarked KD 300,000 (some $900,000) to pilgrims from the illegal residents’ community.
Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs will provide electronic barcoded passports to the Bedoun residents who are registered for performing Hajj ritual this year, in coordination with Ministry of Interior, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting sources.
They indicated that close to 1,000 passports will be handed out to the Bedoun pilgrims.
In the meantime, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved Thursday airlines’ requests to operate 147 additional flights for the Hajj season and Eid Al-Adha holiday.
The number of additional flights to Saudi Arabia has amounted to some 53 carrying 8,200 pilgrims, while the number of flights for Eid Al-Adha has come to about 94 operating between Aug 20 to Sept 10, Eng Yousef Al-Fouzan, DGCA’s Director General of Civil Aviation, stated to KUNA.
Al-Fouzan urged passengers to be present at the airport and check-in to their flights much earlier than their departure time in order to avoid crowdedness, wishing them safe journey and safe return.