RIYADH — This year Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman will host 1,000 Umrah pilgrims and visitors from various parts of the world as his personal guests. The King' program to host Umrah pilgrims and visitors was launched last year under the supervision of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance. A total of 500 Umrah pilgrims were hosted during 2015, the first year of the program, but the number has been increased to a thousand in 2016. The program's executive committee met on Sunday with officials from the Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) to discuss arrangements for the arrival and departure of the King's guests. The guests will arrive in four batches of 250 pilgrims and visitors each. The committee selects the guests from the active Muslim figures all over the world with tangible achievements during the year to perform Umrah and visit Madinah at the personal expense of the King.
