PRINCE NAIF BIN ABDULAZIZ, THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND CHAIRMAN OF SUPREME HAJJ COMMITTEE HAS SENT A CABLE OF CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ ON THE COMPLETION OF PILGRIMS' ARRIVALS IN THE KINGDOM FOR THIS YEAR'S HAJJ VIA AIRPORTS, LAND POSTS AND SEAPORTS, NOTING THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF HAJJ ARRIVALS, THE NUMBER OF PILGRIMS COMING FROM ABROAD SETS A RECORD OF 1,654,407 PILGRIMS. IN HIS CABLE, PRINCE NAIF POINTED OUT THEY HAVE ARRIVED SAFELY AND COMFORTABLY THANKS TO THE CONTINUAL CARE AND ATTENTION OF THE KING AND THE CROWN PRINCE TO UTILITIES OF HAJJ SERVICES THAT ENABLE PILGRIMS TO PERFORM HAJJ RITUALS SAFELY AND COMFORTABLY. PRINCE NAIF SAID THE NUMBER OF PILGRIMS INCLUDED 902,082 MALES, 55 %; AND 752,325 FEMALES, 45%, AN INCREASE OF 92,913 PILGRIMS, 6% IN COMPARISON WITH PILGRIMS' NUMBER LAST YEAR. HE ADDED THAT 1,500,519 PILGRIMS HAVE ARRIVED BY AIR, 129,903 BY LAND AND 23,985 BY SEA AND THEY BELONG TO 187 NATIONALITIES.
