JEDDAH, 25 January 2003 — The Haj Ministry has established for the first time special awards for the best media coverage of the annual pilgrimage, Al-Jazirah newspaper reported yesterday. Dr. Abubakr ibn Ahmed Bagader, supervisor of media and public relations at the ministry, said the Saudi newspaper providing the best Haj coverage will be given a special shield.
Cash prizes worth SR10,000 will be given to the best reporter and SR5,000 each to the best human interest story and the best photograph. A commemorative shield will be given to the best non-Saudi Arab newspaper taking part in the Haj coverage.
The prizes will be distributed at a ceremony on Feb. 21 to be attended by all media persons covering Haj. The ministry has set up an eight-member jury to select the winners.
Plane makes emergency landing
MADINAH, 25 January 2003 — A plane carrying more than 100 Iranian pilgrims made an emergency landing in Riyadh on Thursday due to a technical fault, Okaz newspaper reported yesterday. The plane was leased by Saudi Arabian Airlines from a foreign company. Saudia arranged a special plane to carry the pilgrims from Riyadh to Madinah Thursday night, the airline’s Director General Dr. Khaled Ben Bakr told the daily.
Pilgrims, who boarded the plane from Shiraz, complained about a severe lack of oxygen in the cabin. The oxygen masks were also not working properly, the paper said quoting the passengers. Some passengers fainted due to oxygen shortage. This forced the cabin crew to provide special oxygen pipes to the passengers. The condition inside the cabin improved only upon opening the plane’s doors after landing in Riyadh.
