On Thursday, the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon and the first group of 20,000 pilgrims departed from Beirut to perform the Hajj.
Accompanied by Envoy Walid Al-Bukhari, Makkah-bound pilgrims were safely escorted to the capital's Rafic Hariri International Airport, where he oversaw their departure.
This year's holy pilgrimage will see 20,000 electronic visas issued by the Saudi Embassy for worshippers traveling from Lebanon to the Kingdom.
According to Al-Bukhari, 10,000 visas were given to Lebanese citizens, 6,000 were given to Syrian refugees in Syria and Lebanon, and 1,500 were allocated to Palestinian refugees. Furthermore, diplomats, international organizations, and applicants seeking courtesy residence were granted visas.
Copies of the Holy Qur'an, sweets, and white roses were distributed to departing pilgrims at Beirut airport by the ambassador, along with the representative of Lebanon's grand mufti and the director general of Islamic Endowments, Sheikh Mohammed Anis Al-Arwadi.
According to Al-Bukhari, the Hajj agreement between the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Lebanese Hajj Committee reserves equal quotas for all sects in issuing Hajj visas as a sign of respect for the task.
Against a banner that read "Hajj is a message of peace" in the airport departure hall, Lebanese pilgrims expressed gratitude to Saudi Embassy officials before boarding their flights via Middle East Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines.
The envoy stated that the Kingdom, led by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is ensuring the best quality services and performance to ease the Hajj rituals for all of God's guests.
According to Al-Bukhari, the Kingdom's diplomatic and consular missions worldwide have introduced electronic visas as part of their effort to simplify travel services for visitors to Saudi Arabia, particularly pilgrims.
The religious spirituality of Hajj goes beyond race and culture. The ambassador stated that Hajj conveys a message of peace and Saudi Arabia will maintain the privacy and spirituality of this duty by prohibiting any political slogans.
Last week, the Saudi Cabinet issued a statement confirming that any religious slogans will not be permitted during Hajj as it is a message of peace with divine spirituality. Spiritual communication is necessary to fulfill this obligation.
According to Al-Arwadi, Saudi Arabia is providing enormous support to pilgrims for performing their rituals. It's using all its resources to ensure Hajj for everyone, without exception.
He expressed gratitude to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for overseeing the accomplishments of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance. He stressed that Saudi Arabia is the safe haven for Muslims, and any harm to it impacts the entire Islamic community.
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