Haj minister starts meetings with foreign Haj delegations

Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar will start meeting today with Haj officials of various countries to discuss arrangement for this year’s Haj pilgrimage.
Over the next three months, Hajjar will meet with officials of 70 Haj offices from different parts of the world.
While making the announcement, Hajjar said the name “Haj delegations” has been changed to Haj offices.
This year the Haj expected to fall on Oct.13.
“The Haj offices, in collaboration with the Tawafa establishments, the Car Syndicate and the United Agents Office and the Guides Establishment of Madinah, will discuss details of arrangements for the pilgrimage including pilgrim housing with the aim of achieving a record success in offering pilgrim services,” Hajjar said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency yesterday.
The minister said these meetings are organized sufficiently in advance before the beginning of the Haj season annually and prepare plans for foreign Haj officials and organizers so that they can organize pilgrims’ journey, accommodation and transport in the best possible manner.
The minister stressed the need for organizing Haj awareness programs for pilgrims before they set out for Haj from their native countries. The awareness programs are aimed to instruct pilgrims on the correct conduct of the Haj rites, and also the way they would be grouped for the stone-throwing rites at Jamarat. The program will educate pilgrims about the need to follow all safety regulations and the Kingdom’s rules while they are in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites.
The minister will also advise Haj officials to complete formalities such as signing contracts of air transport before the beginning of the Ramadan.
The minister also said that all Haj offices should hire houses that have new licenses and supply the ministry a copy of their licenses. The offices should also ensure that pilgrims have been instructed on all details related to the pilgrimage before they start their journey to the Kingdom.
The Haj offices should also sent their officials for grouping of their respective pilgrims. Those officials should arrive in the Kingdom ahead of the pilgrims because they have to attend the training programs on pilgrims grouping for stone throwing organized by the ministry, the minister said.
The minister added that the authorities in the Kingdom are keen on making the Haj safe and comfortable for each pilgrim and that is why various expansion and development projects have been implemented in Makkah, holy sites and Madinah.