MUSCAT, JULY 1: The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has announced that the initial group of Omani pilgrims who completed their Haj rituals will be arriving back in the Sultanate. This year, Oman sent a total of 14,000 pilgrims, including 250 expatriate Arabs and an equal number of individuals from various nationalities, through its official website for Hajj registration.
The pilgrims arrived in batches via air transportation well in advance of the religious rituals, which began with the gathering at the foothills of Mount Arafah, a day prior to the Stoning of the Devil and other significant ceremonies.
Expressing gratitude to the Saudi authorities and both government and private entities in both countries, a spokesperson from the ministry stated, "The first flight carrying Omani pilgrims from the holy land will arrive on Sunday, and we are delighted to have had a highly successful pilgrimage this year."
The registration process on the Awqaf website allowed all interested citizens and residents in the Sultanate to participate, with priority given to senior citizens, cancer patients, and first-time applicants. A random selection was carried out to determine the final list of pilgrims.
This year, Saudi Arabia hosted nearly 1.8 million pilgrims, nearly double the number from the previous year. The demanding Haj rituals were completed amidst scorching summer temperatures, culminating in the Stoning of the Devil at the Jamarat complex in Mina on Friday.
Following this, the pilgrims performed the farewell Tawaf at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, circling the Kaaba seven times, before heading to Madinah to pray in the Prophet's Mosque and visit Islamic landmarks, as per the customary traditions.
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