Mecca (Saudi Arabia) - Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Mecca Region, who is also the Chairman of Hajj Central Committee, announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia has received 1,564 pilgrims from Qatar compared to 1,210 last year. Commenting on the hosting of Qatari pilgrims by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, he said: "The Royal attitude is not strange as the brothers from Qatar are guests of Allah and we have to serve them." In a press conference at Mina in the governorate of Makkah, Prince Khalid conveyed thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his profound care and continuous instructions on providing the best services to the pilgrims. He noted that the Kingdom has recruited more than 300,000 civil and military personnel to serve pilgrims during this Hajj season. The Saudi official also said that as many as 101 illegal Hajj organizers were apprehended by the authorities, while around 490,000 violators of Hajj regulations were prevented from entering Makkah and other sacred places, 219,000 unlicensed vehicles were turned back, and 9,599 drivers were recorded as violators. Prince Khalid announced that pilgrims' number this year has exceeded two million, coming from Saudi Arabia and abroad. He explained that the number of those coming from outside the Kingdom has reached 1,752,014, while the number of citizens reached 126,092, and expatriates residing in the Kingdom 102,936. The Hajj and Umrah train is now on duty, the Saudi official said, noting that it was expected to transport 365,000 pilgrims. He also said that more than 21,000 buses have the capacity to transport more than two million pilgrims. He also revealed that the Makkah governorate has completed 14 projects worth SR300 million in preparation for the Hajj season.
