The first batch of Malaysian Hajj Pilgrims arrive in Medina

MEDINA: A bouquet of flowers, souvenirs, light refreshments, and recitation of prayers marked the welcoming ceremony for the arrival of 282 Malaysian Hajj pilgrims for the 1445H season, who arrived at their accommodation at the Emaar Royal Hotel in Medina at 6:30 AM local time.

They, who were passengers on the first flight (KT One) of Malaysia Airlines, MH 8050 from Malaysia, safely landed at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina at approximately 4:10 AM.

Seven buses transported them from Kedah, Perlis, and Kelantan to the accommodation zone managed by the Hajj Fund Board (TH).

For this Hajj season, besides Emaar Royal, two other hotels were selected as accommodation in Medina for the pilgrims of Muassasah, namely Saja Al-Madinah and Anwar Movenpick, all of which are located close to the Prophet's Mosque.

The arrival of the group was greeted by the Chief Consul of Malaysia in Jeddah, Roslan Sharif.

Also present were the TH management, including the Deputy Head of Hajj Welfare Delegation, Mohamed Heikal Mohamed Yusuff, and the Medina Operations Manager, Ashrof Shamsuddin, along with Hajj officers for the 1445 Hijrah/2024 Gregorian season.

Meanwhile, Roslan stated that, based on his observation, TH had made thorough preparations to receive all pilgrims by holding appropriate discussions with the authorities, including the Ministry of Hajj and related agencies in Saudi Arabia.

As an example, he said, the TH headquarters in Medina at the Roha Al-Madinah Hotel had started operations earlier to accommodate these esteemed guests of Allah.

In addition to KT One, another flight from Malaysia also arrived in Medina on Thursday, involving 281 pilgrims who were accommodated at the Saja Al-Madinah Hotel.

They are part of the initial KT group out of a total of 31,600 Malaysian Hajj pilgrims for this year, who will arrive in the Holy Land in stages through 100 flights from the homeland, with the last one scheduled on June 9.

The Day of Arafah falls on the 9th of Zulhijjah, or June 15.

During their six-day stay in Medina before departing for Mecca, they will participate in programs and activities organized by TH, including briefings, visits to the Prophet's Mosque, the grave of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and historical sites around the city of Al-Munawwarah.