King Salman receives Egyptian Mufti, Iraqi PM

CAIRO – 23 August 2018: Saudi King Salman Bin Abdel Aziz received Egyptian Mufti Shawki Alam and Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi Wednesday during the annual ceremony held in Mena Castle for prominent Muslim figures doing pilgrimage.

"God honored the kingdom by assigning it the duty of serving the holy mosques and their guests. Since its establishment, King Abdel Aziz and all his successors fulfilled that duty and we will always follow their pace," King Salman said.

The king arrived in Jeddah after observing the pilgrimage process ensuring pilgrims were receiving the adequate service. His highness also received an Egyptian delegation of 60 media personnel.

The delegation included the Head of Culture and Media Committee at the Parliament Osama Heikal, the Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation Ahmed Salem, his associates Abdel Fatah al-Gebaly and Mohamed El Omary, and the Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Chancellor Omar Marwan who is also the head of the Egyptian Pilgrimage Delegation providing assistance for Egyptian pilgrims.

Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Awal Al Awad said that the kingdom received this year two million pilgrims adding that the number of pilgrims expected throughout the next 10 years is 35 million.

The number of Egyptian pilgrims who passed away in Saudi Arabia during the annual hajj pilgrimage reached 30 on Tuesday.

Deaths from heat exhaustion, fatigue and natural causes are a common occurrence among pilgrims on the hajj in Saudi Arabia, which takes place this year from Aug. 19 to 24.

During a press conference in Mina, Saudi Arabia, Marwan added that the Egyptian authorities are coordinating with Saudi officials to issue death certificates for the deceased Egyptians.

Marwan praised the role played by the medical team accompanying the Egyptian Hajj mission, pointing out that it provided excellent medical service to all pilgrims.