Pilgrims leaving Madinah in droves (click title to entry - thank you)
Yousuf Muhammad
Arab News
MADINAH: The Haj Committee has announced that a total of 564,242 pilgrims arrived in Madinah by yesterday and 344,044 of them have left. A statistical report released by the committee’s secretariat-general said this is an increase of 30 percent over the same period last year.
Essam bin Abdul Aziz Dimyati, chairman of the Guides Establishment at Prince Muhammad International Airport in Madinah, said departures have increased in the last few days with an average of 45 international daily flights taking between 10,000 to 12,000 pilgrims to international destinations, which include India, Indonesia, Turkey, Lebanon, Morocco and South Africa.
A total of 45,656 pilgrims left Madinah by air by Saturday. The figures show a 7 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
The report added that on average 590 buses carrying more than 25,000 pilgrims were leaving the city each day. It said 89 percent of hotels and 59 percent of furnished apartments were occupied.
More than 220,000 pilgrims are still in Madinah, which is a drop of 20 percent over the same period last year.
Giving a breakdown of the number of pilgrims according to their nationality, the report said Indonesians topped the list with 56,781 pilgrims, followed by Pakistanis with 32,441 pilgrims and then Iranians with 23,570 pilgrims.
Meanwhile, 9,510 pilgrims received medical treatment in Madinah with Saudi Red Crescent Society ambulances transporting 137 pilgrims to hospitals.
Under the guidance and orders of Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed, all government and private institutions have been mobilized to provide the best services to the guests of God during the pilgrimage season.
Sunday December 28, 2008
Haj plane is first international flight into KT (click here)
KUALA TERENGGANU: Some 355 haj pilgrims became the first group of passengers to fly in on an international flight at the Sultan Mahmud Aiport yesterday.
MAS flight MH 8237 from Jeddah landed in the early morning.
The Sultan Mahmud Aiport was recently upgraded with facilities to handle international flights.
Chief financial officer and executive director Tengku Datuk Azmil Zahruddin said in a statement yesterday that the historic occasion demonstrated the ability of the airport to operate international departures and arrivals.
Haj pilgrims must possess international passport : MPHC (click here)
Published: December 28,2008
Bhopal , Dec 28
The Madhya Pradesh Haj Committee (MPHC) today asked the Muslim in the state who are keen to take Haj pilgrimage next year to ensure that they possess the international passport."The desirous Haj pilgrims are advised to complete the formalities of getting international passport before applying for Haj pilgrimage," MPHC Chief Executive Officer A W Qureshi said in a press statement.
The MPHC had been asked by the Central Haj Committee of India, Mumbai that as per instructions of Royal Embassy Saudi Arabia, New Delhi, pilgrims must possess international passport, Qureshi added. PTI LAL RRN
