Dubai: Hundreds of Emirati pilgrims started departing from UAE airports on Wednesday for Haj, which will begin in Makkah in a week’s time.
As always, dedicated fast-track services have been arranged exclusively for pilgrims, such as parking at airport, reception area, check-in, immigration, security check, and nearby flight departure gates.
This year, 6,228 Haj permits were allocated in the UAE for Emiratis — 25 per cent more than last year. Expats have to travel to their home country to depart for Haj.
At Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Emirati pilgrim Mohammad Esmail Mohammad said he was very excited to go on Haj for the first time. “Authorities, especially Awqaf, have been following up with me and other pilgrims long before we set out to travel. Our questions regarding Haj were answered very well,” Mohammad said.
Another first-time Emirati pilgrim, Fahd Al Janahi, said: “I’m very pleased with the services provided by authorities at the airport for pilgrims. We were gifted daily-use items, basic necessities; and given basic health checks, for example.”
Both pilgrims, who work for Dubai Police, were among dozens of others guided by officials through airport formalities on Wednesday morning.
Pilgrims at the Terminal 3 departures area were seen receiving items such first aid kits, refreshments, sweets, Haj guide books, and copies of the Quran. Free basic health checks, such as monitoring blood pressure and blood-sugar levels, were also provided on the spot at the reception area at Gate 1. Similar arrangements have been ensured at airports in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
Ali Angizah, vice-president of operations at Dubai International Airport, praised the efforts of the strategic partners and the airport’s Haj committee for ensuring the success of another Haj season. He wished the pilgrims well on their journey from Dubai.
Mohammad Diwan, director of operations for Terminal 1, who is this year’s director of the Haj committee, said preparations had started around a month before the start of the Haj season. He added that the flow of pilgrims through the airport was going smoothly and the pilgrims were pleased with the dedicated services.
“All the individual plans of our strategic partners — such as the health authorities, police, immigration, and others — were incorporated into one masterplan for the whole airport. The pilgrims are not mixed with regular passengers and there is a separate team catering to them. Besides the scheduled daily Haj flights, extra flights have been pressed into service as well,” Diwan said.
This year, 38 additional Haj flights will depart from Terminal 3 (29 to Madinah and nine to Jeddah) alongside five daily flights (two to Madinah and three to Jeddah).
Diwan said the last of the Haj flights will depart on August 27.
He pointed out that there are also pilgrims from all over the world who are transiting through Dubai, onwards to Saudi Arabia.
Diwan added that officials are already prepared to welcome back the pilgrims, who will begin arriving from the first day of Eid Al Adha, which will be September 1 this year.
Dr Ahmad Ebrahim Bin Kalban, CEO of hospitals services sector at Dubai Health Authority (DHA), said the DHA participates every year in the Haj services at the airport. “We aim to raise the health awareness of the pilgrims, be it disease prevention tips, guidance on controlling blood pressure and blood-sugar levels, keeping stress down, avoiding dehydration, and other issues,” Dr Bin Kalban added.
Pilgrims are also given basic health checks and gifted first-aid kits. “Raising awareness and avoiding risks are key to a safer, heathier and happier Haj,” Dr Bin Kalban said.
Special arrangements
More than 6,200 pilgrims — all Emiratis — departing from UAE
Five daily scheduled flights from Dubai airport; in addition to 38 extra flights from Terminal 3
Last departure from Dubai on August 27
First return flights expected on September 1
