Heads of Haj missions from various countries heaped praise on the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for the excellent arrangements made for pilgrims this year. They were speaking at the annual function held in honor of heads of delegation here on Sunday.

The Ministry of Haj, which organized the function, also gave away prizes to several journalists for comprehensive coverage of Haj this year.

Haj Minister Bandar Hajarr said Haj is an event that Muslims feel honored to report and write about with enthusiasm and dedication, and the ministry was eager to provide necessary facilities and services to the journalists to carry out their job well.

The Ministry of Haj for the first time also showcased its achievements and the projects it has implemented in the Kingdom in general and within the holy places and the Grand Mosque in particular, through an exhibition.

Abdullah bin Mohammad Jasi, minister of religious affairs in Guinea, who spoke on behalf of all the delegation members, said that one cannot thank enough the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for such care and concern for the pilgrims, and deserves heartfelt gratitude for managing a huge task so smoothly and well.

Haji Abd Kahar bin Haji Hussain, head of the 25-member Brunei Darussalam delegation, told Arab News that he and his delegation found Haj arrangements and facilities very satisfactory. “We are very happy,” he said.

Hussain, who belongs to the department of Haj in the Ministry of Religious Affairs, said he performed his first Haj in 2003, and at least five times in subsequent years, and has found that arrangements improve every year. “There is upgradation in administration and organization,” he said.

He said that Muslims feel indebted to the government of King Abdullah for organizing and managing “such a huge task year after year so smoothly and extremely well.”

He said that the coverage of Haj was immense and the journalists involved deserve their awards.

Hussain said that this year, 400 Hajis came for the pilgrimage from Brunei Darussalam. The selection process for next year starts immediately after the Haj season is over. First, they have to register with the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Preference is given to those who have never performed Haj before and those who are 50 years and above. Last year over 1,000 people had registered. This year over 700 applied.

Sanni Karimou, head of the 25-member Haj mission from Togo, who was here in 1998 to perform Haj, and has come 10 times since then, said there has been immense development and improvement. “For instance, there are fewer problems in accommodation.”

“Haj arrangements were good and very nice except in Mina where we were not satisfied with the food, since we were not used to what was served to us,” he said.

There were 1,625 Hajis from Togo this year. The selection of Hajis is made by the National Commission of Haj, which is under the control of the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Security, and the Union of the Muslims of Togo. They do not receive any financial help, and come on their own. The first flight out will be on Nov. 6 from Jeddah.