4.8 M pilgrims perform Umrah this year

About 4.8 million foreign pilgrims, from a total of six million, have performed Umrah this year, according to Haj Minister Bandar Hajar. Since the beginning of 2012, more than 2.57 million foreign pilgrims have arrived at King Abdulaziz Airport, said a statistical report, according to the Saudi daily (Arab News). “As many as 2,573,627 pilgrims arrived on 16,419 flights since beginning of Rabiul Awwal 1433H,” the report said, adding that 2,572,175 pilgrims have already left the Kingdom. On Monday alone 22,059 pilgrims arrived at the airport on 125 flights, the report said. On the same day 16,276 pilgrims left the Kingdom to their home countries. Khaled Al-Khaibary, spokesman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said KAIA has made necessary arrangement for receiving and seeing off the growing number of pilgrims.