FIRST BATCH OF MALAYSIAN HAJ PILGRIMS ARRIVE IN MADINAH

From Noor Shamsiah Mohamed @ Ismail

MADINAH, May 9 (Bernama) -- The first batch of 282 Malaysian pilgrims for the 1445H/2024 haj season safely arrived in Madinah today.

The Malaysia Airlines flight MH8050, carrying 115 male and 167 female pilgrims, landed at the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport at 4.10 am local time (Malaysia is five hours ahead of Saudi Arabia).

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The pilgrims were then transported by bus to their accommodation zone at the Emaar Royal Hotel.

Upon arrival at the hotel at 6.30 am, they were welcomed by the Consul General of Malaysia in Jeddah, Roslan Sharif.

Also present were representatives from the Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) management, including deputy head of the Malaysian haj delegation (welfare) Mohamed Heikal Mohamed Yusuff and Madinah Operations director Ashrof Shamsuddin, along with TH personnel.

Meanwhile, Roslan said that based on his observation, TH has made meticulous preparations to receive all haj pilgrims by holding discussions with relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Haj and Umrah and other agencies in Saudi Arabia.

“The TH headquarters in Madinah, situated in the Roha Al-Madinah Hotel building, has been open since last week as part of preparations to welcome the dhuyufurrahman (Allah’s guests).

“Therefore, I believe TH can provide the best service to Malaysian haj pilgrims,” he told media representatives here.

At the same time, he advised all Malaysian pilgrims to always move in groups for their safety and follow the instructions issued by TH.

“Adhere to the regulations and local laws of Saudi Arabia at all times, and protect the country’s image and reputation wherever you are,” he said.

He also advised pilgrims to stay healthy and hydrated and maintain a balanced diet throughout their stay in the Holy Land.

Roslan also prayed for the smooth running of all TH operations and for all pilgrims to be granted a ‘mabrur’ haj.

Apart from the KT1 flight which arrived earlier, another flight from Malaysia landed in Madinah at 7.50 am local time, carrying 281 haj pilgrims. They will be staying at the Saja Al Madinah Hotel.

All of them are part of the total 31,600 Malaysian pilgrims scheduled to arrive in the Holy Land in stages via 100 special charter flights operated by AMAL by Malaysia Airlines and Saudia Airlines.

In Madinah, Malaysian pilgrims will be accommodated at the Emaar Royal Hotel, Movenpick Hotel and Saja Al Madinah Hotel, all situated less than 150 metres from the Nabawi Mosque.

During the six days and five nights stay in Madinah before departing to Makkah, the pilgrims will participate in various programmes and activities organised by TH, including visits to the Nabawi Mosque, the Prophet’s tomb, and the Raudah, as well as ‘ziarah luar’ or visits to historical sites around the city.

-- BERNAMA