Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz will host during this year’s Hajj 2,000 family members of the Yemeni army and Popular Resistance soldiers who died during the operations of Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope.
The 2,000 pilgrims will perform the pilgrimage as part of the 'Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj and Umrah' which is overseen by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.
Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Al-Sheikh – who is also the supervisor of the program - said that the directive falls under the king’s continuous quest for the best interest of Muslims.
This initiative also embodies the Saudi leadership's support to the Yemeni people and the martyrs' families as an appreciation to their heroic scarifications, he added.
Al-Sheikh continued that the kingdom took it upon itself to defend Yemen's land and people against the Iranian oppression seeking to seize Yemen and demolish its possessions as well as violate its stability and spread chaos.
Earlier, King Salman issued a directive for 200 family members of the victims of the terrorist attack that targeted two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand to also be hosted during Hajj.
Saudi ambassador to New Zealand Abdulrahman al-Suhaibani, during the farewell of pilgrims at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, said that this directive was highly welcomed by the victims who asked to convey their gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Suhaibani added that the king’s directive was well-received by the official, popular and media parties of New Zealand, describing it as a positive and significant initiative towards the victims.
A total of 926,726 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom till Friday, according to the Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat). It said 881,229 pilgrims arrived by air through King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah.
According to the Jawazat, as many as 35,148 pilgrims have arrived by land through the Kingdom's various inlets and 10,349 by sea.
