Batches of Egyptian pilgrims will return home as of today, as Luxor and Aswan airports will receive the first batches coming from Mecca. The batch includes 669 pilgrims from Aswan, Sohag, Luxor and the Red Sea governorates. Assistant Minister of the Interior and Chief Executive of the Egyptian pilgrimage mission Salah Hashim said the last batch of Egyptian pilgrims will arrive on December 22. It includes 1093 pilgrims from Assiut and the New Valley governorates.
In a press conference yesterday, Hashim said the first batch of pilgrims who will arrive onboard ships will leave Jeddah Islamic Port on Friday. It includes 1093 pilgrims from Beheira, Sharkia, Ismailia and Port Said. The last batch will arrive on boats and will leave Mecca on December 22 with 1093 pilgrims from the provinces of Assiut, Beheira and the New Valley.
As for the pilgrims in Medina, the first batch will leave on December 18 while the last batch will departure on January 25 with 1702 pilgrims.
The first journey of pilgrims who traveled to Saudi Arabia after buying tickets from NGOs will arrive to Egypt tomorrow. It has 2029 pilgrims from Cairo, Giza, Six October City, Menoufia and Damietta. It will fly from Jeddah airport to Cairo airport. Mohamed Tawfiq, executive director of Hajj and Umrah (minor pilgrimage) Institution, said: "The first flight coming from Medina to Cairo will start next Monday with 600 pilgrims from Qalyubia and Cairo governorates.
Pilgrims from Ismailia and Suez will leave Medina on Dec. 18 while 2282 pilgrims from Sharkia, Dakahlia and Port Said will return home on December 19.
Pilgrims of Gharbia, Kafr El Sheikh, Beni Suef and Fayoum will return home on Dec. 22-24, he added.
The death toll of Egyptian pilgrims reached 21, down 10% compared to the last year. In addition, there are 86 sick pilgrims and all of them performed pilgrimage under medical observation, with the exception of three pilgrims who suffered from a coma and will remain in hospital until their medical conditions are improved.
