Watch video: Syrian twin separated 14 years ago in Saudi Arabia elated to return to kingdom – this time to perform Hajj
Kingdom invites families of separated twins for pilgrimage
Cairo: Family members of foreign conjoined twins, separated in operations in Saudi Arabia over the past several years, have arrived in the kingdom to perform this week’s Hajj pilgrimage.
Several of these pilgrims landed on Tuesday at the King Abdul Aziz airport in the port city of Jeddah ahead of the Hajj rites beginning on Friday.
They are hosted to make the holy journey under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guests Programme for Hajj, Umrah and Visit.
Upon arrival, they were welcomed by officials from the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs. They included some twins who underwent separation surgeries under a Saudi programme that initiated in 1990.
The Syrian girl Sara is one of them. She was separated from her twin in a successful procedure in the kingdom 14 years ago.
“I’m in good health, thank God” Sara told the Saudi TV Al Ekhbariya following her arrival. She voiced appreciation to King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed for the gesture.
Last week, a medical team successfully separated Philippine conjoined twins at a hospital in Riyadh, marking the 61st such procedure conducted in the kingdom since 1990.
Upon an invitation from the Saudi king, a total of 2,322 male and female pilgrims from 88 countries continue arriving in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj hosted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guests Programme that the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs implements and supervises.
Saudi embassies and the ministry’s religious attaches abroad had earlier finalised all procedures associated with implementing King Salman’s order to invite the pilgrims.
The procedures included selecting the guests for the holy journey and facilitating visa procedures under a comprehensive system that ensures seamless services for the invitees right from their departure from the homeland until arrival in the kingdom.