Iranian Hajj pilgrims began returning home from Saudi Arabia after completing their holy journey.
Iranian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alireza Enayati told Asharq Al-Awsat that some 30,000 Iranians performed the Hajj this year.
They were accorded a warm welcome and enjoyed generous hospitality like all over pilgrims, he added.
Saudi authorities announced that 1,707,301 pilgrims performed Hajj this year, including 1,546,655 from 165 countries, while the rest were comprised of Saudi citizens and residents of the Kingdom.
Enayati said the Iranian pilgrims began returning home of Monday and the departures are expected to continue until the end of the month.
He stressed that they enjoyed a smooth Hajj, like all other pilgrims.
“They are now returning home safely,” he remarked, saying they had arrived by air to the Kingdom and they will head back to Iran the same way.
There is no need to transport them by land, as flights are operational and their departures will take place according to plans, he explained.
Enayati hailed the major means and developed services provided by Saudi Arabia at the holy sites, Makkah and Madinah, saying they allow the pilgrims to perform the rituals with ease and calm.
He underlined the level of coordination and cooperation between Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah that ensured that the Iranian pilgrims had a smooth journey.
The ambassador expressed his gratitude to all Iranian and Saudi officials who exerted great efforts in service of the Hajj pilgrims and who made their journey smooth and secure and their welcome warm and hospitable.
