Arab, Asian nations briefed on Haj arrangements

JEDDAH: Officials from the Saudi Ministry of Haj have been holding meetings with their counterparts from Arab and South Asian nations in preparation for this year’s pilgrimage. Abdulrahman bin Ali Al-Nafei, assistant deputy minister of Haj and in charge of the ministry’s Makkah branch, had a meeting Thursday with Raafat bin Ismail Badr, chairman of the Pilgrims Foundation of South Asia, and Abbas Abdul Ghani Kattan, president of the Pilgrims Foundation for Arab Countries. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the foundation of South Asian countries, with several members of all the nations present. Al-Nafei outlined the measures being taken by the ministry to ensure the Haj is safe for the pilgrims, and that top quality services are provided. He pointed out that officials need to have meetings with hospitals and volunteer organizations to ensure proper support. They also need to log the data of pilgrims on the ministry’s website. Al-Nafei said the ministry was happy with the preparations for this year’s pilgrimage and have met the objectives laid down by Minister of Haj Bandar Hajjar. He said the main objectives of the ministry’s operational plans are to enhance the role of the private sector to ensure their commitment to quality service provision. -arabnews