Egyptian hajis battle rise in costs

MAHMOUD Aouni has always wanted to make the hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, an important religious duty for all Muslims, but said he might never be able to do so now because of Egypt’s economic woes.

“They say charity begins at home. In the current economic climate, that’s where it stays,” said Aouni, a 47-yearold youth ministry worker who, like many Egyptians, has been forced to put off his plans indefinitely by the rising cost of living.

Even wealthier pilgrims are now finding the journey more difficult after Saudi Arabia and Egypt both imposed additional fees for Muslims repeating the lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the “umrah”, within three years.

Unlike the past two years, when all those who signed up for the hajj made the journey to Mecca, state news agency MENA quoted Parliamentary Affairs Minister Omar Marwan as saying only 64 000 of Egypt’s 80 000 hajj quota would now make the pilgrimage – a drop of 20%.

Last year approximately 80 000 Egyptians went on the hajj. – Reuters

‘Trade deals close’

THE Australian government expects to seal free trade agreements with Indonesia and Hong Kong by year’s end, its trade minister Steven Ciobo has said.

Concluding the two agreements would wrap years of talks, which in the case of Indonesia have dragged on since 2010, stalling along the way as diplomatic tensions between the two sides flared. – Reuters