Supervisor of the reception committee of the Tawafa Establishment for Non-Arab African Pilgrims Hani bin Hashim Nasser welcomed the pilgrims at the airport, provided them with hospitality meals and drinks and wished them a happy stay in the Kingdom.
Nasser said another 163 pilgrims would be coming from South Africa Thursday, while a group of 38 pilgrims from the country would be arriving the same day at Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.
Meanwhile, chairman of the establishment Abdul Wahid bin Burhan Seifuddin said all arrangements were completed to receive pilgrims and enable them to perform the fifth pillar of Islam in ease and comfort. "The establishment has deployed all its human and material resources to serve the guests of God," he added.
Seifuddin said field service groups were formed to extend all facilities to the pilgrims and enable them to perform the Haj rites in peace and security.
He said the establishment's reception office at the airport was manned by capable human cadres and supplied with computers and scanners to help expedite passport procedures.
The chairman said the South African pilgrims were transported to office No. 27 of the establishment in Makkah where they were welcomed by the office head Mutawif Tariq Qattan. He said the pilgrims were taken to their accommodation and from there to the Grand Mosque where they performed Umrah at the start of their Haj rituals.
Seifuddin said receptionists working for the establishment were rigorously trained on passport procedures to help process pilgrims quickly. He said the airport reception office is working round-the-clock over three shifts of 15 staff each.
Pilgrims from India and Bangladesh are expected to arrive in the Kingdom on Thursday, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.
About 3,000 Indian pilgrims will arrive in Jeddah and Madinah on Thursday aboard 11 chartered flights operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines and Nas Air, India's Jeddah-based Haj Consul M.S. Mubarak told Arab News. Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao will receive the pilgrims arriving at the Haj Terminal in Jeddah on Thursday.
More than 170,000 Indians are expected to take part in the upcoming pilgrimage.
Bangladesh Ambassador Mohamed Shahidul Islam will receive the first group of pilgrims from his country at the Haj Terminal Thursday afternoon. He said more than 107,000 Bangladeshis will perform Haj this time.
Mohamed Tarek, press consul of Pakistan, said 205 Pakistani pilgrims will arrive in Jeddah on Friday. Ambassador Naeem Khan will receive the maiden group arriving from Quetta, the capital to Balochistan province. A total of 180,000 Pakistanis are expected to perform Haj this year.
The first group of 420 Sri Lankan pilgrims will arrive in Jeddah by a special Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Colombo on Oct. 6. According to Sri Lankan Consul General in Jeddah Adam Bawa Uthumalebbe, the island nation will send around 3,800 pilgrims for Haj this year.
— With input from Mohammed Rasooldeen
