HAJ PILGRIMS TO REACH RECORD LEVELS

As the Ministry of Haj announces a 45% increase in the number of Umrah pilgrims following the issue of more than 5.18 million visas, airline operators providing air charter and scheduled services for pilgrims to the Holy Cities in Saudi Arabia are braced for record numbers of passengers. “As many as 3,855,564 pilgrims have arrived in Madinah since the beginning of the Umrah season this year,” said a Ministry report. “By next month, 1,330,636 more Umrah pilgrims are expected to arrive.” “There was a 62 percent increase in the number of Umrah flights compared to last year,” said an official