KUWAIT: Kuwaiti pilgrims started on Saturday returning home after concluding the rituals at the sacred places in Saudi Arabia. The first flight bringing the pilgrims back home touched down at Kuwait International Airport at 9:35 am on Saturday. A Saudi airways plane arrived off the terminal T-1 with 330 pilgrims on board, said Mansour Al-Hashemi, the director of operations at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in a statement to KUNA. A total of 25 flights for the returning pilgrims are scheduled for Sunday.

They are set to fly back 8,135 pilgrims, Al-Hashemi added. According to the scheduled flights, the total number of flights dedicated to the return of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia amounts to about 40 flights taking pilgrims from both Jeddah and Madinah. The DGCA has worked out an integrated plan to facilitate procedures for the returning devotees. It confirmed its preparations to receive the returning pilgrims in cooperation with the concerned government agencies, headed by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Awqaf, the General Administration of Customs and airlines, as well as ground service providers.

No serious violations recorded The Director of the Hajj Department at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Sattam Al-Muzayin, confirmed that this year's Hajj season was distinguished by all standards in terms of voyage, delivery and entry of pilgrims, praising the efforts of the Saudi authorities in providing everything needed by pilgrims and all Kuwaiti government agencies participating in the Hajj mission.

Al-Muzayin said: “Coordination was made with the security authorities to enter the roof of Mount Arafa for the first time, which caused great comfort for pilgrims, as 3 hours were allocated for them to enter from 9 am to 12 noon.” Al-Muzayin also pointed out that simple observations were recorded and resolved with some campaigns that were remedied immediately, and no serious violations were recorded this year. – Agencies