JEDDAH: Kuwait's Hajj mission is fully prepared to provide topnotch medical services to its pilgrims, said a Kuwaiti official yesterday. The delegation's team is currently distributing medicine and equipment to Kuwaiti Hajj groups in Makkah, head of the Kuwaiti delegation's medical services Mubarak Al-Ajmi said yesterday. Al-Ajmi, meanwhile, called on Kuwaiti missions to follow Saudi Arabia's health regulations for the safety of pilgrims.

On his part, head of Kuwait's Hajj delegation Khulaif Al-Othaina affirmed that Kuwaiti Hajj groups are strictly following the rules and regulations of the Hajj and Omra law. The delegation is well concerned about the wellbeing of Kuwaiti pilgrims and it will exert all efforts to meet their needs, said Al-Othaina in a press statement during his tour among Kuwaiti Hajj groups. He called on the group to abide by Saudi laws regarding Hajj to ensure a safe and trouble-free trip for the pilgrims.

Meanwhile, Awqaf General Secretariat announced yesterday that it granted KD 200,000 ($600,000) to illegal residents planning to perform the hajj, said the Acting Deputy General Secretary Musaed Al-Rakhis. The sum, which was delivered to the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, would be given for pilgrimage expeditions to help this segment of the faithful cope with the hajj expenses, he said in a statement.

The secretariat, in the past, donated KD 100,000 ($300,000) to this segment of the society to cover DNA print costs. Up to 9,580 had benefited from this financial aid. It has also aided students of limited income families to pay school fees, he said, indicating that illegal residents received some of this assistance too. Al-Rakhis urged citizens willing to contribute to the donation to contact the secretariat. Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs, Mohammad Al-Jabri, has recently declared that the secretariat and Al-Zakat House together earmarked KD 300,000 (some USD 900,000) to pilgrims from the illegal residents' community.

No health threat

Iranian pilgrims in Makkah in Saudi Arabia are all right and not facing any health threat during this year's hajj season, an Iranian medical official said. The health conditions of Iranian pilgrims are very appropriate, and there is not any health problem whatsoever, the official said in a press release yesterday. However, five Iranian pilgrims have died due to heart attack in Makkah so far, he said, noting that 48 Iranian pilgrims are now at hospital for medical treatment. The number of Iranian pilgrims has notably dropped this year, compared with previous years. A total 86,500 Iranian pilgrims are expected to attend Hajj this year.

Pilgrims increase

The number of Hajj pilgrims increased in the last four decades due to the continuous expansions in ritualistic sites and multifaceted services in Makkah and elsewhere, said a Saudi ministerial report. According to a report by the Saudi Ministry of Information and Culture, the main reason for this increase was due to the development of infrastructure and vital services, noting that the number of pilgrims within the past 48 years have increased from around half a million annually to around three million pilgrims.

Providing his input on the report, head of operations at the ministry Abdulkhaleq Al-Zahrani said that development projects in Makkah, Al-Madina, and other regions have considerably increased number of pilgrims both from abroad and within Saudi Arabia. The new train project linking Makkah, Al-Madina, and Jeddah will help ease transportation for Hajj pilgrims, said Al-Zahrani, adding that the expansion projects in the Haram (holy sanctuary) in Makkah and other sites have helped to protect the well-being of Hajj pilgrims and enabled them to perform rituals more smoothly. - Agencies