First Egyptian dies in Saudi Arabia during pilgrimage

CAIRO – 17 August 2017: The first Egyptian pilgrim died during pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, the Egyptian Minister of Health said.

The pilgrim was 68 years old from the Beheira governorate.

The head of the Egypt’s official hajj medical mission for this pilgrimage season, Ahmed el-Ansari, clarified that the pilgrim, named Hassan Abdel-Hameed Abdel-Rahman Mahfouz, was died from low blood circulation in a hospital in Mecca.

A total of 78,000 Egyptians are registered to travel to Hajj this year, including 22,000 pilgrims who have won the governmental Hajj draw, the Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday.

The number of Egyptian pilgrims has risen by five percent in five years, a statement said, adding that the Ministry pulls all stops to ensure the safety and security of the pilgrims before and after completion of Hajj rituals.

Three days ago, the first batch of 5,000 Egyptian pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia, with 1,289 passengers having arrived at King Abdulaziz International airport in Jeddah, and 4,565 others in Medina, Egypt’s Consul General in Jeddah Hazem Ramadan said on Monday.

Saudi Arabia is currently bracing to receive Muslims from all over the world for the once-in-a-year pilgrimage season, whose rituals are regularly performed in Mecca and Medina.

The hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage, as it is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed at least once by every adult Muslim who is physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey.