JEDDAH, 9 December 2004 — Singapore is sending 2,600 pilgrims for the upcoming Haj, as against 2,007 last year.
“There has been a drop in the number of pilgrims since 2002,” Abdul Halim Mohamed Amin, vice consul at the Singapore Consulate, said yesterday. In the previous years, some 4,000 pilgrims came for the annual pilgrimage, he told Arab News.
The first two Haj flights from Singapore will arrive on Dec. 22, he said, adding that Saudi Arabian Airlines and Singapore Airlines will equally share the transport of pilgrims.
Amin said a three-member trade delegation recently visited the city and had fruitful meetings with the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They also had meetings with some companies, including Saudi Basic Industries Corporation and Savola. “Singaporeans have been occasionally coming individually on business visits and meeting their local counterparts,” Amin said.
