Haj: Priority for those who didn't get chance this year
Published: 05:07 PM,Jul 31,2024 | EDITED : 09:07 PM,Jul 31,2024
Sultan bin Said al Hinai, Head of the Oman Haj Mission, said 92 per cent of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the entire Haj experience
Priority to perform Haj rituals next year will be given to those who couldn't make it this year, according to the Omani Haj Mission under the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs.
However, the ministry stated that the priority for those who couldn't make it this year does not guarantee their chance next year as high priority shall be given to those who are chronically ill.
Last year, 41,000 pilgrims, including Omanis and expatriates, registered with Awqaf, but only 14,000, the allowed quota for Oman, were able to participate in the Haj rituals.
Sultan bin Said al Hinai, Head of the Oman Haj Mission, told the Observer that in a survey conducted post-Haj, 92 per cent of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the entire Haj experience.
'We had a successful Haj season this year and were able to complete the procedures for the Sultanate of Oman pilgrims to travel to the holy sites and back,' he said.
This year, 14,000 people, including 13,500 Omanis, 250 Arab residents, and 250 non-Arab residents attended the Haj rituals for the year 1445 AH.
'We are truly thankful to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, represented by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and the various bodies supporting the Omani Haj Mission and Haj and Umrah companies in their work. The sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced the success of the Haj season of 1445 AH, and the mission is pleased to review a number of indicators and statistics related to the Haj season of 1445 AH,' he said at the press briefing.
It was revealed in the review that the number of women who participated in the Haj represented 49.9 per cent of the total compared to 50.1 per cent for men.
The percentage of pilgrims who performed the obligatory Haj stood at 89.2 per cent, pilgrims executing wills were 1.7 per cent, and voluntary pilgrims were 9.1 per cent.
While private Haj companies employed 700 employees for the season, the Omani Haj mission had 350 members. The total number of the Haj delegation from the Sultanate of Oman reached 15,050 pilgrims, including mission employees.
Most Omani pilgrims were from the youth category between the ages of 18-60 years, at a rate of 83.2 per cent compared to 16.8 per cent from the category over 60 years old. Regarding the paths taken by pilgrims to the Holy Lands, the percentage of air travel reached 60.4 per cent compared to 39.6 per cent by land.
The average cost of Haj by air was RO 2,137 compared to RO 2,054 in 1444, and the average cost of Haj by land was RO 1,319 compared to RO 1,367 in the 1444 season.
However, the ministry stated that the priority for those who couldn't make it this year does not guarantee their chance next year as high priority shall be given to those who are chronically ill.
Last year, 41,000 pilgrims, including Omanis and expatriates, registered with Awqaf, but only 14,000, the allowed quota for Oman, were able to participate in the Haj rituals.
Sultan bin Said al Hinai, Head of the Oman Haj Mission, told the Observer that in a survey conducted post-Haj, 92 per cent of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the entire Haj experience.
'We had a successful Haj season this year and were able to complete the procedures for the Sultanate of Oman pilgrims to travel to the holy sites and back,' he said.
This year, 14,000 people, including 13,500 Omanis, 250 Arab residents, and 250 non-Arab residents attended the Haj rituals for the year 1445 AH.
'We are truly thankful to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, represented by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and the various bodies supporting the Omani Haj Mission and Haj and Umrah companies in their work. The sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced the success of the Haj season of 1445 AH, and the mission is pleased to review a number of indicators and statistics related to the Haj season of 1445 AH,' he said at the press briefing.
It was revealed in the review that the number of women who participated in the Haj represented 49.9 per cent of the total compared to 50.1 per cent for men.
The percentage of pilgrims who performed the obligatory Haj stood at 89.2 per cent, pilgrims executing wills were 1.7 per cent, and voluntary pilgrims were 9.1 per cent.
While private Haj companies employed 700 employees for the season, the Omani Haj mission had 350 members. The total number of the Haj delegation from the Sultanate of Oman reached 15,050 pilgrims, including mission employees.
Most Omani pilgrims were from the youth category between the ages of 18-60 years, at a rate of 83.2 per cent compared to 16.8 per cent from the category over 60 years old. Regarding the paths taken by pilgrims to the Holy Lands, the percentage of air travel reached 60.4 per cent compared to 39.6 per cent by land.
The average cost of Haj by air was RO 2,137 compared to RO 2,054 in 1444, and the average cost of Haj by land was RO 1,319 compared to RO 1,367 in the 1444 season.