Saudis hail successful Hajj season

This year there has been no major security incidents or accidents

epaselect epa06178940 An aerial view of the holy Kaaba and the Grand Mosque compound during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, 02 September 2017. Around 2.6 million muslim are expected to attend this year's Hajj pilgrimage, which is highlighted by the Day of Arafah, one day prior to Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year, it marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts, one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy.  EPA/MAST IRHAM
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Officials of the Saudi government on Saturday professed themselves satisfied that this year’s Hajj season has passed off so far with no security incidents or accidents.

The ministry of health's official spokesman, Mishaal Al-Ribai’an, announced that so far Hajj had remained epidemic and contagious disease free.

Until Friday, the ministry had registered 21 open-heart operations, 1,461 uses of dialysis and 11 delivery operations of children born at Hajj, he said. Almost 26,000 patients visited the emergency clinics, 47,801 the outpatient clinics, and more than 278,000 visited health centres while 135 pilgrims are currently being under treatment or observation at the ministry's hospitals.

Most of the cases were the result of sun strokes or temperature fatigue, the ministry confirmed.

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As the final rituals of Hajj took place, a spokesman of the ministry of interior, Major General Mansour Al-Turki, told a news conference earlier in Mecca that plans for the ascent of pilgrims to Arafat – during which they spend the night in Muzdalifah and subsequently make the descent to Mina – remained successful.

Saturday saw King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, hold a reception at the Royal Court at Mina Palace for heads of state and Islamic dignitaries, including Sudan's president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, Gambia's Adama Baro, Egyptian prime minister Sherif Ismail and senior officials from a number of Islamic countries.