JEDDAH, 7 February 2003 — A 16-member Haj goodwill delegation from India, led by Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, arrived here yesterday.

Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad received the delegation which later proceeded to Makkah.

The delegation includes Kerala Local Self Government Minister Cherkulam Abdullah; Lok Sabha members Rashid Alvi of Uttar Pradesh and Abdul Rasheed Shaheen of Jammu and Kashmir, Peer Mohammed Hussain, MLA, Jammu and Kashmir; Imtiaz Mohammed Khan, Javed Kazimi and Syed Kazim Zaheer of Uttar Pradesh; Mohammed Badruzzaman Khan and Mohammed Amin Ahmed of Jharkhand; Syed Shah Noorul Haq Qadri of Andhra Pradesh; Mohammed Yusuf of Madhya Pradesh; Syed Ashraf of New Delhi; Habib Abbas Fakih of Maharashtra; Sawara Khatoon of Bihar; and Anees Jamaee.

In all, 120,000 Indians will perform haj,10,000 more than last year. — K.S. Ramkumar

Fewer Singaporeans

JEDDAH, 7 February 2003 — A group of 370 Singapore pilgrims arrived by a Singapore Airlines flight at the Haj Terminal here on Tuesday night. Syed Haroon Aljunied, secretary of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, who heads the country's Haj goodwill mission and a two-member medical team accompanied the pilgrims.

The pilgrims were received by Singapore's Riyadh-based Charge d'Affaires Anthony Chng, Vice consul Mohamedzen Idris and Vice Consul (Haj) Abdul Halim Amin. Another group was given a similar welcome by the charge d'affaires and other officials on its arrival at the terminal on Wednesday night. About 3,400 Singaporeans are performing Haj. The Islamic Religious Council of the island described the number as the lowest since 1992 when more than 4,000 pilgrims came for the annual pilgrimage. Reports attributed to travel agencies and religious authorities in the island state said the drop was due to Singapore's economic slump. (KSR)

Haj firm punished

MADINAH, 7 February 2003 — Prince Muqrin, governor of Madinah, has ordered a Haj company to pay for the living expense of more than 200 Indonesian pilgrims after the company failed to provide housing for them, Okaz newspaper reported yesterday. The pilgrims will stay in five-star hotels near in central Madinah.

Waheeb Al-Suhaly, an official with the Haj committee, said the Indonesian pilgrims had to wait long hours in buses after the company accommodated other pilgrims in the building reserved for the Indonesians. Prince Muqrin warned that Haj companies failing to provide services would face tough punishment. (AN)

Consulate beefed up

PARIS, 7 February 2003 — The French Foreign Ministry has decided to reinforce staff at its Consulate General in Jeddah to serve the large number of French pilgrims that are to make their way to Makkah this year, Quai d’Orsay spokesman Francois Rivasseau said at the Foreign Ministry’s daily news briefing. “We’ve this year decided to send two agents who will stay in Makkah throughout February to provide consular assistance.”

“All information can be obtained on our website, under the heading ‘Conseils aux voyageurs,’ or advice to travelers, he said. The number of French pilgrims performing Haj this season will reach 22,000 pilgrims. This is in addition to 500 French pilgrims from Comoro Islands. — Paul Michaud