JEDDAH, 3 November 2004 — Saudi Arabia is making plans to receive 10 million pilgrims annually in the backdrop of growing Muslim population in countries around the world, Haj Minister Iyad Madani has said.
Speaking to businessmen and reporters at the Yanbu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Madani also emphasized the need to transform Taif Airport into another major gateway for pilgrims.
The chamber had arranged a function to mark the opening of Yanbu Port to receive Haj and Umrah pilgrims as well as visitors.
Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport is the main gateway of pilgrims, which at present receives more than one million Haj pilgrims and nearly two million Umrah pilgrims.
Madani also stressed the importance of expanding Jeddah airport and improving its services to meet the requirements of growing pilgrim traffic.
“We are also working to make Prince Muhammad Airport in Madinah an international airport to receive pilgrims from abroad,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the minister as saying. Madani expected a five percent increase in pilgrims this year. Last year, the Madinah airport received many foreign Haj flights, reducing pressure on the Jeddah airport.
Earlier Madani inspected the facilities at Yanbu port including the departments of immigration, customs and computer, and received some of the pilgrims who had just arrived in a ship from Egypt.
Abdul Kareem Al-Hamdi, chairman of the Yanbu chamber, thanked the government for allowing the port to receive pilgrims, adding that it would boost the port and its economic activities.