JEDDAH, 6 February — More than 250 Iraqi pilgrims arrived here yesterday on two Iraqi Airways flights. The group was the second batch of Iraqi pilgrims to arrive in the Kingdom in as many days.
The first group of 3,000 arrived in the Kingdom aboard more than 100 buses through the border point of Arar Monday evening, the Saudi Press Agency said yesterday. The agency added that Saudi authorities offered the Iraqi pilgrims access to health care and all other services upon their arrival.
A 200-bed hospital at the entry point, equipped with laboratories, pharmacies, intensive care and sunstroke and heat exhaustion units, will extend all medical services to the pilgrims, the SPA said.
"There is no UN resolution banning Iraq from operating its planes and there was therefore no need to obtain UN authorization for these flights, which are humanitarian flights for elderly people," Transport Minister Ahmad Murtada Ahmad told reporters at Baghdad airport.
Iraqi Airways chief Maamun Al-Nassiri said 1,000 Iraqi pilgrims would travel by air. "Two flights carrying 250 pilgrims are scheduled for Wednesday," he added.
