Saudia Ready For Hajj Pilgrims' Return To 100 Destinations
05 September 2017Mahmoud Mourad
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has completed preparations for its operational
plan to return pilgrims to their respective countries starting Monday.
Saudia Director-General Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser said the airline's services
come as part of efforts by government agencies to provide facilities to
pilgrims that will allow them perform their rituals with ease.
Saudia transported 470,000 pilgrims to the Kingdom, an increase of 40 percent
compared to last year, Al-Jasser said. Flights will depart to more than 100
destinations for the return journey.
Al-Jasser said special services include the option to leave bags at Makkah
airport in advance of the departure date, to allow pilgrims more time to
perform their rituals, and to help avoid possible delay or congestion at
terminals.
Saudia has also allocated employees to help group pilgrims at King Abdul Aziz
International Airport in Jeddah to ensure they make their flight on time, Al-Jasser
said.
Pilgrims return to Makkah as Hajj winds down
More than two million pilgrims participating in the Hajj this week began
returning to Makkah on Sunday for final prayers as the world's largest annual
gathering of Muslims winds down.
Senior Saudi officials said the rituals, which have in the past seen deadly
stampedes, fires and riots, had gone off without incident.
Makkah province governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who heads the central Hajj
committee, called this year's pilgrimage a success.
"I am proud today to have offered these services and I am proud of all my
brothers who participated and I am proud of each pilgrim who came to this land
and assisted in the success of this season," he told reporters in Mina, east
of Makkah.
Thousands of pilgrims participated in a symbolic stoning of the devil, part of
the Hajj rituals, in Jamarat before returning to Makkah. By nightfall,
Makkah's Grand Mosque was crowded with worshippers.
Saudi Arabia stakes its reputation on its guardianship of Islam's holiest
sites and organizing the pilgrimage.
More than 2.3 million pilgrims came to Saudi Arabia this year, most of them
from abroad, for the five-day ritual. Attendance is a religious duty, once in
a lifetime, for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.
"The organization was excellent and there was no crowding or anything. Things
went well, thanks to God," said Yemeni pilgrim Rashid Ahmed.
More than 100,000 members of the security forces and 30,000 health workers
were on hand this week to maintain safety and provide first aid.
Saudi Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabeeah said the pilgrimage had passed without
any outbreak of disease, a perennial concern.
He told Reuters in an interview late on Saturday that the ministry had also
provided care to 400,000 people, including 21 open-heart surgeries.
"We are keen to offer excellent service so that the pilgrims return home in
good health after completing the Hajj," he said.
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