A senior Official of the Hajj Ministry said the number of persons who had come from abroad for performing Hajj this year (1425H), amounted to 1,538,252. As many as 1,386,571 (or 90 percent of the total number) came by air, 126, 485 (about 8 percent) by land, and 25,196 (about 2 percent) by sea. He noted that the pilgrims began to return to their home-countries effective Saturday, Jan 22, 2004. Up to Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2005, about 640,821 pilgrims left the Kingdom; 509,572 (about 80 percent) by air, 115155 (about 18 percent) by land, and 16094 (2 percent) by sea. In other words about 42 percent of the total number of the pilgrims had left the Kingdom up to Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2005. In a statement to the Saudi television, the official pointed out that the return of the pilgrims had taken place according to the schedules earlier prepared by the air and shipping companies. As regards the delay of the return of the European pilgrims, the Undersecretary said it was due to the failure of the tourism companies, through which they had come to the Kingdom, in operating flights as originally scheduled. The ministry of Hajj and the General Presidency for Civil Aviation have taken the required measures against these tourism companies. So far 6000 of the European pilgrims have returned, and the remaining European pilgrims, 3688, will return within the next few days.
