Qatari pilgrims laud Saudi Arabia for Hajj services

A pilgrim uses an umbrella to protect his wife from the sun while she is praying at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. (Reuters)

AL-AHSA: Qatari pilgrims said that the Kingdom provided them with all facilities and services to perform their Hajj rituals.
These remarks were made by Qatari pilgrims as they returned to their country through the Salwa border crossing following directives from King Salman to open the border to allow Qataris to enter the Kingdom to perform Hajj, following mediation by Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al-Thani.
They said all means of comfort and facilities were provided, especially since there were 354 more Qatari pilgrims than last year.
A number of Qatari pilgrims arrived on Tuesday at the border on their way to Doha. Some came by land from Makkah and others had picked up their cars which were parked at the Dammam and Al-Ahsa airports.
For his part, the director of the Salwa customs department, Abdulrahman Aba Al-Khail, said the number of Qatari pilgrims who have left the Kingdom reached 130 after performing Hajj.
Hamad Falih, Qatari pilgrim, said Saudi Arabia was known to help the needy, adding that procedures were easy.
Mohammed Al-Mirri said Saudi Arabia was known for providing services and the development of infrastructure in Makkah, notably in the holy sites.
He noted a big difference in terms of services compared to previous years where security men were deployed in all parts of the holy sites, while humanitarian services were always available.
He said there were Hajj missions in Doha that used to provide services to Qatari pilgrims but what they found with the Guests of King Salman for Hajj and Umrah Program was far better, especially in the holy sites and transportation.
Meanwhile, some 1.93 million travelers left Saudi Arabia in the past two weeks, 45 percent of them during the four days of Eid, according to official statistics published by Aleqtesadiah daily.
Meanwhile, the General Directorate of Passports stressed the importance for Saudis of holding undamaged, valid and up-to-date travel documents.
Saudis traveling to Gulf countries only need their national ID cards. But the passports of Saudis traveling to other Arab countries should be valid for at least three months, while the passports of those traveling to non-Arab countries should be valid for a minimum of six months.