S Arabia calls on Qatar to ensure Hajj pilgrimage

RIYADH, July 14 (Xinhua): Saudi Arabia on Saturday called on Qatar to remove hinders it imposes on citizens and residents in Qatar to stop them from performing Hajj, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah accused the Qatari government of creating obstacles to prevent its citizens and residents from arriving in the kingdom to perform the pilgrimage.

It clarified that it has taken all required steps to ensure the arrival of pilgrims from Qatar similar to pilgrims from all over the world.

It revealed that more than 1.7 million pilgrims are expected to perform Hajj this year, while 8 million performed Umrah.

The ministry denied allegations of the Qatari Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs that Saudi Arabia is obstructing those who wish to visit the holy sites from Qatar to perform Hajj and Umrah.