{"id":2431,"date":"2014-08-26T09:19:35","date_gmt":"2014-08-26T09:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/?p=2431"},"modified":"2014-08-26T09:19:35","modified_gmt":"2014-08-26T09:19:35","slug":"1-3-million-muslims-from-abroad-to-perform-haj","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/index.php\/1-3-million-muslims-from-abroad-to-perform-haj\/","title":{"rendered":"1.3 million Muslims from abroad to perform Haj"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hajj\"<\/a>More than 1.3 million foreign pilgrims are expected to perform Haj this year, according to the Haj Ministry. South Asian countries will send the largest contingent of 410,000 Hajis followed by Arab countries with 250,000.
\nAbout 228,000 pilgrims will come from Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia and Malaysia, while Turkey and European countries will send 190,000, non-Arab African countries 170,000 and Iran 63,000.
\nSaad Al-Qurashi, a member of the National Haj & Umrah Committee, said about 150,000 domestic pilgrims, including expatriates, would perform Haj this year. \u201cAmong them 41,000 will benefit from low-cost Haj services,\u201d he told Arab News.
\nThe Tawafa Organization for South Asia, which takes care of pilgrims from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, held a high-level meeting two days ago to review preparations for the annual pilgrimage.
\nRaafat Badr, chairman of the organization, urged heads of 115 field service groups to extend the best possible services to the guests of God to help them perform their religious duties in comfort.
\nThe Haj Ministry, meanwhile, refuted reports that the government would take the assistance of foreign security companies to manage the annual pilgrimage, the largest gathering of Muslims in the world.
\n\u201cThese are just rumors. There is no need to take the assistance of foreign security companies as reported by some media,\u201d an Interior Ministry source told Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic daily.
\nA Haj Ministry official emphasized that the Kingdom would employ only Saudi companies to manage Haj affairs.
\n\u201cAll companies we deal with during the Haj season are 100 percent Saudi,\u201d said Hatim Qadi, deputy Haj minister, adding that companies that provide security services are licensed by the Interior Ministry.
\nSome foreign media reports claimed that the Haj Ministry was planning to appoint a company that cooperates with Israel to provide some services. The report was referring to Al-Majal, which is a Saudi company licensed by the Saudi Commerce Ministry 33 years ago, the Arabic daily said.
\nMohammed Al-Othaim, a media expert, said such false reports were aimed at tarnishing the Kingdom\u2019s image and create confusion among pilgrims. \u201cThey spread these false information through the social media including Facebook and Twitter using fake names,\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n

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