Palestinian Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs Mustafa Mohammed Najm hailed on Saturday the care accorded by Saudi Arabia to Hajj pilgrims, especially ones coming from Palestine.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he noted the attention they receive from the moment they arrive in the Kingdom, saying that all of their needs are met.
He also highlighted the preparations that have been made to ensure that pilgrims perform the Hajj smoothly and with ease.
Such care reflects Saudi Arabia’s pioneering role in serving the guests of the Two Holy Mosques, he went on to say.
Moreover, he revealed that 6,600 Palestinians will be performing the Hajj this year; 2,508 come from Gaza and the rest from the West Bank.
He added, however, that the war in Gaza has prevented would-be pilgrims from traveling from there for a second consecutive year. The Gaza pilgrims this year are actually residing in Egypt.
The pilgrims were chosen through a draw to ensure fairness and transparency, explained the minister.
Ninety percent of West Bank pilgrims were chosen this way, he revealed.
Najm expressed his deep gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the facilitations offered to the Palestinian pilgrims and the sophisticated services at their disposal from the moment they arrive in the Kingdom and until their departure.
He noted that 1,000 places are allotted in Makkah every year to relatives of Palestinian martyrs and wounded, reflecting the care shown by Saudi Arabia to Palestine and its people.
No one in the world has shown the same attention to the Palestinian pilgrims as Saudi Arabia, he stressed. “They don’t have to pay a single dime.”
In May, King Salman issued directives to host 1,000 Palestinian pilgrims from the families of prisoners, and those killed or wounded in the Gaza war at his own expense to perform Hajj this year.
Najm wished Saudi Arabia continued security, stability, progress and prosperity under its wise leadership.
Moussa Mohammed Hassan, 60, a Palestinian pilgrim from Ariha, expressed his deep gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its warm reception and hospitality.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that he had a smooth journey from the West Bank to head to neighboring Jordan. From there, he took a flight to Saudi Arabia.
“Upon arrival in Madinah, we received a warm welcome, which is something we were expecting from the generous Saudi people,” he added.
“The four days we stayed in Madinah were the most beautiful of my life,” he remarked. He said the pilgrims received the same warm welcome in Makkah.
“We thank Saudi Arabia’s government and people.”
His roommate, Mahmoud Khamis al-Mashlah echoed his remarks. He added that he traveled with his wife, who is suffering from kidney failure.
He explained that he accompanies her every other day for dialysis treatment at hospital in Madinah and in Makkah.
“The care that we found is beyond description,” he said of the Saudi facilities and medical teams.
“Words will never be enough to express the attention accorded to the Hajj pilgrims,” he added.
