Khaled Al-Humaidi Okaz/Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — As many as 12,000 Syrians are expected to perform the Haj this year, according to an official source at the Syrian Haj mission in Makkah. The source, who opted not to be identified, said the arrival of the Syrian pilgrims from Syria and other countries will be coordinated by the Supreme Haj Committee of the Syrian National Coalition. According to the source, the first flight carrying the Syrian pilgrims is expected to land at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on Sept. 10. "Arrangements were made with Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt to receive the Syrian pilgrims," he said, adding that Haj visas will be granted to the Syrian pilgrims by the Saudi diplomatic missions in these countries. He also said coordination was made with the Lebanese government to allow the pilgrims coming from Syria to stay for two days in Lebanon to obtain visas from the Saudi Embassy in Beirut. The source said the registration process has started in Lebanon for the Syrians living back home and wishing to perform the Haj this year. He expected their number not to be more than 1,000. "We will never tolerate the politicization of the Haj or any harm done on Syrian pilgrims," he said. The source warned that any Syrian pilgrim who dare to deviate from the rituals of Haj and found taking part in unlawful activities will be expelled from the mission and handed over to the Saudi security authorities. He said the mission's office in Makkah is making efforts to arrange accommodation, food and transport facilities for the Syrian pilgrims. "The office has employed a number of Syrian nationals to serve their compatriots in Makkah and the Holy Sites," he said. The source said the office signed an agreement with a national transport company to transport the Syrian pilgrims from the airport to their places of accommodation in Makkah. On the other hand, the Haj Ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has issued more than 300,000 Haj visas since July 18 through its e-portal. Issa Rawas, the ministry's undersecretary, who is supervising the electronic services, said the ministry has established its e-portal to facilitate the visa procedures for Haj and Umrah pilgrims coming from abroad.
