1.3M Haj pilgrims arrive in Saudi

jeddah — The number of Haj pilgrims arriving into the Kingdom has reached 1,302,192, Saudi Arabia’s Directorate General for Passports has said.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the directorate said that the number of pilgrims arriving via air, land and sea ports has increased by nearly six per cent compared to 2017.

Meanwhile, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, has ordered hosting of 1,000 male and female pilgrims from the families of martyrs of Egyptian armed forces and police during the Haj.

This initiative is part of the Custodian of King Salman’s Haj Guests Programme which is supervised by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Sheikh Dr Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, said that this year’s guests are coming from Asia, Africa and Europe, adding that as many as thousands of female and male pilgrims have benefited from the programme since its inception 22 years ago.

Egyptian officials have commended the Saudi government’s preparations to ensure the success of Haj.

They also commended the ongoing expansion projects at the Two Holy Mosques and other holy sites. —