Hajj at 104: Indonesian pilgrim thanks King Salman

A handout picture made available by the Center for International Communication at the Ministry of Culture and Information of Saudi Arabia on August 28, 2017 shows 104-year-old Indonesian woman Mariah Marghani Muhammad (C), who is reportedly one of the oldest pilgrims attending the Hajj this year, arriving at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on August 26, 2017. (AFP)

Indonesian pilgrim Mariah Marghani Muhammad, 104, reportedly one of the oldest pilgrims performing the Hajj this year, being welcomed at Jeddah airport. (SPA)

JEDDAH: A 104-year-old Indonesian woman has expressed thanks to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman for being hosted by the Kingdom during the Hajj pilgrimage.
Ibu Mariah Marghani Muhammad and her escorts are being hosted under the Guests of King Salman for Hajj and Umrah Program on account of her health needs.
Ibu Mariah, one of the oldest pilgrims performing Hajj this year, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday and was met at King Abdul Aziz International Airport’s Hajj Terminal by several Saudi television reporters, as well as officials from the Indonesian Consulate and various airport dignitaries.
Expressing appreciation for the king’s gesture, the Indonesian pilgrim said the special treatment offered to her is a reflection of the Kingdom’s keenness to offer extraordinary services to pilgrims. “Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), I am going to Makkah, Alhamdulillah I am going to Hajj,” she said.
Dressed in her ihram, the white head-to-toe dress used for Hajj and Umrah, Ibu Mariah said she had been to Saudi Arabia once before when she was younger — at the age of 90 — to perform the Umrah.
She will join about 221,000 pilgrims from Indonesia who will perform the Hajj pilgrimage this year.
The Kingdom seeks to provide comfort for pilgrims during the Umrah and Hajj seasons and has reached out to various pilgrims with specialized needs.