Minister of Haj Bandar Hajjar signed an agreement yesterday with Yemeni Minister of Endowments and Guidance Hammoud Abbad for the upcoming Haj.
Abbad thanked the Saudi authorities for looking after his country's Haj and Umrah pilgrims.
He also praised the Kingdom for the huge expansion work currently under way at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and the holy sites.
“With the completion of the grand projects, such as the expansion of the mataf (circumambulating area around the Kaaba) and the courtyards of the Grand Mosque, pilgrims will be able to perform their rites in vastly increased comfort and peace,” Abbad said after signing the agreement with Hajjar.
Abbad had discussions with Saudi officials about preparations for Yemeni pilgrims.
Underscoring Saudi-Yemeni relations, the visiting dignitary said the two countries were like a "single family with overwhelming feelings of love and brotherliness accentuated by geographical closeness under the wise leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi."
Meanwhile, the Haj Ministry has taken every possible step to make Umrah comfortable and safe for millions of pilgrims who have been performing the pilgrimage since Dec. 14. A total of six million Umrah pilgrims are expected this year.
More than two million pilgrims completed their Umrah rites and returned home over the past five months.
"So far 2,634,934 foreign pilgrims have performed Umrah out of the 3,107,342 people to whom visas have been issued since the beginning of the season," Hajjar said in a statement during a visit to a religious exhibition in the northern border city of Arar on Wednesday.
The Haj Ministry showcased its services and achievements at its pavilion at the exhibition called "Be a Preacher," organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance under the aegis of Northern Border Province Gov. Prince Abdullah.
Kingdom,Yemen sign Haj accord
