S. Arabia to welcome foreign Haj pilgrims at six airports

DUBAI:

Saudi Arabia is preparing to welcome foreign Haj pilgrims at six airports across the Kingdom — Jeddah, Medina, Riyadh, Dammam, Taif, and Yanbu, according to reports. National flag carrier Saudia will transport pilgrims from over 100 scheduled and 14 seasonal destinations globally.

 

Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina is set to receive the first flights on May 21, the Gulf News reported. Saudia plans to utilise 176 aircraft and allocate 1.2 million seats to provide a seamless travel experience for pilgrims.

 

The airline employs 8,000 cabin crew members fluent in 42 languages and offers educational e-books on performing Hajj and Umrah in 14 languages. In-flight Islamic content has been updated to include 134 hours of religious programmes and 590 hours of Qur’an recitations, along with other Islamic programmes in multiple languages.

 

To raise awareness among pilgrims, Saudia Group will share messages in their languages through Hajj missions, organisations in Mecca and Medina, and at Hajj residences. These messages will cover journey details, baggage limits and requirements to facilitate a smooth pilgrimage, the report said.

 

Saudia Group aims to achieve operational efficiency while adhering to safety standards, offering services like zamzam water bottle dispatch and additional flights to Medina.