Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Nasser Turkey: Saudi Arabia Mulls over Hosting 50000 Foreign Pilgrims This Year


Mon 24 May 2021 | 05:29 PM
Ahmed Moamar

Nasser Turkey, a member of the Higher Committee of Pilgrimage and Umrah and deputy –chairman of the General Federation of Tourist Chambers, said that Egypt hasn't received yet any official correspondence from the Saudi side related implementation of pilgrim programs.

He added that all news circulated published by the Saudi media outlets.

Nasser Turkey went on to say in special statements, that the pilgrim season is a month and a half away but no official side in the Kingdom briefed the concerned bodies in Egypt on implementing the pilgrim and the safeguards of it.

He indicated that the Kingdom is serious to organize the pilgrim this year like the previous year.

The Saudi authorities permitted limited local pilgrims to perform the rite the local pilgrims only.

The whole world acknowledged that last year's season of the pilgrim was successful.

Turkey indicated the Kingdom is very keen this year to offer chances to pilgrims of the other Islamic countries to perform the rite but the Saudi authorities haven't informed their counterpart in Egypt so far on that.

However, the Internet websites of the Saudi newspaper reveal that the Kingdom is about to present 50 thousand visas only to all countries across the world due to the exceptional circumstances related to the Coronavirus (known also as COVID-19).

It is worth noting that Egypt only had 80 thousand visas every year ahead of the Corona pandemic.

Turkey affirmed that the exceptional circumstance compelled the Kingdom to accept a very little number of pilgrims although one million pilgrims went to the holy places to perform pilgrim and umrah.

He explained that the Kingdom doesn't perform a trade or profiting activity but seeks to conduct experiments that give Muslims the freedom of performing the holy rite.

He unveiled that higher cost of the pilgrim,  accommodation near the Holy Mosque of Mecca, and fares is possible to rise significantly because hotels work at half capacity.