Manama: A group of Malaysians who biked their way from Kuala Lumpur to Madinah in Saudi Arabia have garnered praise for their feat.
The 12 men left the Malaysian capital two months ago and made their way on eight motorbikes and a small van across 12 countries with stops in 53 cities.
Many Malaysians gathered at the hotel to welcome them following the long journey. The group leader said that he had made the same trip on three occasions, local news site Sabq reported on Thursday.
The group said that the ride was mostly smooth and that the only serious problems they encountered were at the borders of the countries they crossed.
They added that every time they crossed into another country, the Malaysian embassies had to come forward to facilitate their entry.
“It was mostly precautionary measures by the guards at the borders,” they said.
The team leader said that the main purpose of the 60-day ride was to perform Umrah in Makkah.
“We also wanted to see other countries on our way,” he added.
The team will head to Makkah, around 420 kilometres south of Madinah, on Friday. They will then move on to Jeddah, the Red Sea port city, their last stop.
The report did not say whether they would ship their bikes and fly to Kuala Lumpur or ride the long way home.
