Saudi Arabia to host Palestinians for Hajj

RIYADH – The government of Saudi Arabia has announced to host families of the Palestinians killed or wounded during the ongoing violence that erupted in October last year.

In this regard, King Salman has ordered to host 1,000 family members of Palestinians who faced the wrath of the Israeli forces in a war that has been raging despite calls by international players to exercise restraint.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that 1,300 people from over 88 countries and 22 family members of conjoined twins who were separated in the Kingdom will also be hosted for the pilgrimage as part of the royal directives.

The gesture is part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj and Umrah, which is overseen by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance. Over 60,000 pilgrims have been hosted under the program since its inception 26 years ago.

The directives by the Saudi king reflect the leadership’s constant care for Muslims around the world and especially the ones affected by the war in Palestine.

Meanwhile, the government of Saudi Arabia has finalized arrangements for hosting over 2 million pilgrims from across the world. The government of Saudi Arabia has warned of strict penalties for those found violating the rules in the holy kingdom and expatriates can also face deportation.

For this year, the Interior Ministry of Saudi Arabia has started a new digital ID service for pilgrims traveling to perform Hajj from different countries. The purpose of the service is to help the pilgrims make the Hajj journey memorable and to spot any illegal pilgrims.

The Saudi government introduced a new call center ‘1966’ for pilgrims to increase communication and to help them perform religious ritual without any hassle.