MAKKAH, 1 February 2004 — Nearly 3,000 Saudis and 5,000 expatriate residents have been denied entry to Makkah by the passports authorities for not having proper Haj permits, Okaz daily said. Col. Abdullah Al-Nagiss, the officer in charge, said that the Passports Department had closed entrances to Makkah thus preventing unauthorized entry.
Freed Prisoners Perform Haj
A benefactor has paid the pilgrimage expenses for 30 people released from prisons in the Riyadh area, Al-Jazirah reported yesterday. This comes within the framework of the guardianship program organized for prisons by the steering and guidance section of the prisons department. A preacher was assigned to accompany the group and supervise the stages of their journey, the newspaper said. The participants expressed thanks to all those who contributed to the success of this program.
