About 1.74 mln travellers in Saudi for Muslim Hajj pilgrimage

JEDDAH, Aug 28 (KUNA) -- Around 1.74 million people have travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in the current Hijri year 1438, representing a 32 percent since the previous Islamic calendar year, authorities said on Monday.
These numbers include travelers who made it across Saudi Arabia's land, air and sea borders, passports' authority director Sulaiman Al-Yahya told a press conference.
Al-Yahya expressed the Saudi leadership's commitment to facilitating the entry of the pilgrims and providing them with the adequate means to carry out their religious duties in a smooth and comfortable manner.
Saudi authorities have employed a huge taskforce, including human resources and technology, to handle the enormous endeavor, he said, and are already focusing on the next phase - logistics involving pilgrims returning home. (end) nsa.sd