Egypt’s assistant interior minister for administrative affairs and head of the executive body of the ministerial Hajj committee said 16,464 Egyptian lottery pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia so far to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The official told MENA’s correspondent in Saudi Arabia on Friday that 3,645 pilgrims are currently in Medina and will travel to Mecca after spending five days in the city of Prophet Mohammed.
He added that 12,819 pilgrims have so far arrived in Mecca, where they were immediately accommodated in residences located in the central area near the Grand Mosque.
The official confirmed that the air bridge between Egypt and Saudi Arabia remains ongoing to complete the transfer of all lottery pilgrims to Medina and Mecca in the coming days.
Egypt’s lottery Hajj mission continues operations at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport in Medina and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to expedite arrival procedures and provide pilgrims with facilities enabling them to perform rituals smoothly.
The official noted that the mission this year contracted one of Saudi Arabia’s largest transport companies to provide modern air-conditioned buses equipped with restrooms and GPS tracking systems to transport pilgrims between Medina and Mecca.
The mission also reached an agreement with a luggage transport company to transfer pilgrims’ baggage from their accommodations to airports in Mecca and Medina to facilitate travel procedures.
