Saudi Gazette report MAKKAH — On the orders of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs will host 1,400 pilgrims from 70 countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Announcing the decision, Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Saleh Al-Sheikh said it was an honor to be among people responsible for facilitating the Haj pilgrimage for Muslims from all over the world. “Thanks to the efforts of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman we are able to offer the guests of God a safe and pleasant stay while they perform the most sacred of worships,” said Al-Sheikh. He said the ministry has hosted a total of 24,000 Muslim men and women for Haj since the program was launched in 1997. "The ministry is hosting pilgrims coming from every continent. We have pilgrims from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, India, Niger, Uganda, Madagascar, Comoros, Kenya, Pakistan, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Moldavia, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Cuba, South Africa, Burundi, Mozambique, Senegal, Cameron, Nigeria and 40 other African countries,” said Al-Sheikh.
