Almost 23,000 pilgrims from Britain will perform Haj this year, just like in 2011. Most of them are already here and rest of will arrive very soon, said Mohammed Shoukat, the British consul general.
Every year the British government arranges a team of foreign office officials to provide consular support. “The team will be based in Makkah to provide consular support to the pilgrims in Makkah throughout the duration of the Haj,” he said.
He further said the work and objectives of this team have evolved over recent years, as the Saudi authorities improved their own services to the pilgrims. Last year, the team provided support ranging from emergency travel documents to the replacement of lost or stolen passports; supporting hospitalized pilgrims; advising British pilgrims who were victim of tour operators and providing logistical and bureaucratic arrangements to families of pilgrims who died whilst performing Haj.
“All of this is done in close co-operation with the Saudi authorities that provide fantastic support to our consular team in Makkah. There is an annual increase in the number of British pilgrims coming to the Kingdom to perform Umrah,” Shoukat said. “In 2011, there were over 65,000 British pilgrims for Umrah in the month of Ramadan alone. It remains one of the key priorities of the British Consulate and Embassy to ensure that British pilgrims are provided with the necessary support,” he said.
The Kingdom carries a huge responsibility to ensure that Muslims from all over the world are able to perform this religious duty. In 2011, over 3 million pilgrims gathered in Arafat to seek forgiveness and thanks for the opportunity of visiting the Holy land. The Holy Mosque in Makkah can currently accommodate 750,000 pilgrims at any time and work is underway to double the capacity.
“The Saudi government, under the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, develops Jamarat Bridge, new railway lines and the expansion of Harmain. These investments in the sites of holy rituals will make performing the rituals easier for pilgrims,” he said
According to a recent report in a local newspaper a British charitable organization arranged a voluntary medical team under the British Haj delegation to serve pilgrims during Haj. The team consists of nine doctors and there will be a small medical clinic with two surgeries and a waiting room offering free medical services for 14 to 16 hours daily, the article said.
British government keen to serve its Haj pilgrims
