Saudi to receive 1,000 bedoon pilgrims from Kuwait

KUWAIT: Well-informed sources said that preparations for bedoon pilgrims’ hajj this year will start earlier than previous years, and that the Saudi authorities have already notified Kuwait with their approval to receive 1,000 bedoon pilgrims according to the usual conditions. “This early approval will result in starting to electronically register bedoons for hajj immediately after Ramadan,” the sources said, noting that those who had already performed hajj will be excluded and that the names of elderly bedoons and those who had not performed hajj will be selected in a public raffle at the Grand Mosque.

The sources added that the raffle will be necessary because applicants usually exceed the number Saudi Arabia allowed this year, and that selected pilgrims will be distributed to five low-cost hajj convoys to be contracted through a tender to be offered for public bidding in March. The sources explained that each of the five convoys will serve 200 bedoon pilgrims for a fee of KD 500-650, while the Awqaf secretariat general will pay the balance of the low-cost hajj’s usual fee of KD 1,000-1,200 per pilgrim.

In a related concern, the sources said the awqaf ministry undersecretary and the head of the supreme hajj committee Fareed Emadi recently signed four agreements with Saudi parties to arrange hajj affairs and needs in Makkah and Madinah for this season. Emadi said that the agreements were signed early this year so that both the ministry of awqaf and hajj convoys can have enough time to prepare. He said the agreements were signed in a meeting with the deputy Saudi hajj and umrah minister Dr Abdul Fattah bin Suleiman Meshlet, during which last year’s services were discussed to build upon this year.

Travel bans

In other news, recent statistics issued by the justice ministry’s execution department showed that over 78,000 summonses had been issued in the 10 months of 2019. Statistics also showed that 68,888 travel bans were issued against citizens and expats, 36,114 travel bans were lifted, 67,440 summonses were annulled and over 31,000 arrest warrants were issued.

Meanwhile, official justice ministry sources said the results of tests conducted for applicants to be appointed at the experts department will be declared within a week at most. The sources added that the ministry had stressed its approval to parliamentary requests to investigate the alleged violations committed on appointing the experts and referred the entire issue to the public prosecution. Moreover, the sources said two committees formed by Minister Fahd Al-Afasi to investigate the matter will commence work this week.