RIYADH, 28 December 2002 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd will host 1,000 pilgrims from South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Albania, Poland, Japan and South America this Haj season, Saleh Al-Sheikh, minister of Islamic affairs, endowments, call and guidance, said in a statement yesterday. The king will meet the expenses of these pilgrims, he added.
The ministry has taken all steps to facilitate a comfortable stay and pilgrimage for the royal guests. More than 7,455 guests from 26 countries have performed Haj over the past six years since the king’s personal sponsorship scheme was launched in 1997.
