Maritime Nuweiba port prepared for returning of pilgrims

CAIRO – 23 August 2018: The Red Sea Port Authority is preparing the Maritime Nuweiba port to receive pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia through Nuweiba-Aqaba route and facilitate the measures of their arrival.

Operation rooms were formed to follow up the arrival of pilgrims and facilitate the measures of their arrival, and an official of the Ministry of Tourism will be at the port to solve any problems that pilgrims might face.

The total number of pilgrims that will start returning home on Sunday is 36,000 pilgrims; 12,000 through land and 16,000 through airlift.

The number of pilgrims from inside and outside Saudi Arabia in 2018 has reached 2,371,675; the number of pilgrims coming from outside the Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj was reported to be 1.76 million.

At the same time, the number of Egyptian pilgrims who passed away in Saudi Arabia during the annual Hajj pilgrimage reached 33, spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said on Wednesday.

Deaths from heat exhaustion, fatigue and natural causes are a common occurrence among pilgrims on Hajj in Saudi Arabia, which takes place this year from August 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, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Omar Marwan, who heads this year's Egypt's Hajj mission to the holy lands in Saudi Arabia, said on Tuesday.

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, in terms of examination, providing medicine, and following up on some cases in their rooms.

In the same context, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has ordered the hosting of 1,000 pilgrims from the families of martyrs of the Egyptian Armed Forces and police, the Saudi press agency reported Saturday.

The decision comes as part of the king's Hajj Guests Program, annually supervised by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.

In a statement, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh said this year's guests are coming from the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, noting that thousands of male and female pilgrims have benefited from this program since it started 22 years ago.

Additional report by MENA