RIYADH: One hundred pilgrims from South Sudan have expressed thanks to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for providing them with transportation to perform Haj in Makkah.
A private plane transported the pilgrims from Juba, the South Sudan capital, to Uganda and then Jeddah, until they reached Makkah.
Dr. Abdullah Juma, secretary general of the Holy Qur’an Society and governor of Tombara Province, expressed his gratitude to King Salman on behalf of the pilgrims.
He said the pilgrims from South Sudan are “thankful to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for enabling them to come to the Kingdom to perform Haj.” “They couldn’t believe that they could come to the Kingdom in such a quick way so that they could join all the Haj rituals from Tarwiyah Day to Arafat Day,” he told the Arabic daily Okaz.
He added that the pilgrims also thanked King Salman for the various facilities that enabled them to arrive at the holy sites.
“We did not know how to come to this blessed country. For one, a civil war is taking place in South Sudan. It would have been difficult to leave. For another, it’s expensive to travel to perform Haj,” he said.
He added that the pilgrims’ doubts regarding the possibility of Haj performance were dispelled when Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman ordered that a plane be provided to fly them to Makkah.
“To many of the pilgrims, it’s the first time that they could come to perform Haj. They’re performing a religious obligation. They’re fulfilling a lifetime dream for every Muslim,” he said.
He added that their experience in performing Haj this year will be a precious memory which they’ll treasure for the rest of their lives.
King orders 100 Hajis from S. Sudan flown to Makkah
King orders 100 Hajis from S. Sudan flown to Makkah
