FILE: Palestinian hajj pilgrims arrive to Cairo Airport en route to Mecca
CAIRO – 13 August 2018: The seasonal hall at Cairo International Airport witnessed the arrival of Palestinian pilgrims from Sinai’s Rafah border prior to their travel to Saudi Arabia to take part in hajj.
A number of employees from the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo welcomed the Palestinian pilgrims, distributing bottles of water and juice cans.
The 602 pilgrims will travel on Egypt Air flights 3278 and 3280 on Tuesday morning.
Egypt Air is offering 12 flights from Cairo International Airport to Jeddah during the upcoming days for the travel of 3,321 Palestinian pilgrims.
Civil Aviation Minister Younis al-Masry held a meeting on Monday attended by ministry officials and bodies involved in organizing the hajj season this year.
Al-Masry also discussed preparations for the return flights after the end of hajj.
CAIRO - 1 August 2018: EgyptAir will begin operating flights to carry more than 50,000 pilgrims to perform Hajj rituals in Saudi Arabia as of Wednesday. Chairman of the national carrier company Sherif Ezzat said that the company is scheduled to fly pilgrims from both North and South Sinai to Jeddan International Airport on Wednesday, while the first flight to Medina will take off Thursday carrying pilgrims from Giza and Port Said governorates.
EgyptAir operated 17 flights on Saturday to carry a total of 3,675 Egyptian Muslims to Saudi Arabia's Mecca for performing pilgrimage ritual, due to start in the third week of August.
Nine flights were scheduled to fly from Cairo and Sharm el Sheikh to Jeddah, while eight others will leave for Medina, stated the state-owned news agency MENA on Saturday.
A total of 325 flights will carry 62,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, including arrivals from Mali and Palestine for the 2018 Hajj season.
EgyptAir began operating flights as of Wednesday, when pilgrims from both North and South Sinai arrived Jeddah International Airport. However, the first flight to Medina took off Thursday, carrying pilgrims from the Giza and Port Said governorates, according to chairman of the national carrier company Sherif Ezzat.
CAIRO - 5 August 2018: Minister of Awqaf Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa said Sunday the aim of all official missions of Hajj (pilgrimage) is to offer services to pilgrims and highlight the upright image of Islam. The minister's statements came in a press conference with Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Omar Marwan who heads this year's Egypt's hajj mission to the holy lands in Saudi Arabia.
The hajj, a five-day ritual retracing the journey of Prophet Mohammad 14 centuries past, is among the religious duties able-bodied Muslims are required to take part in at least once in a lifetime.
Millions of Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca every year for the practice, which takes place in Mecca and Medina. Saudi authorities say more than two million Muslims participated in the 2017 hajj season.
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