Dubai: The last of the pilgrims flew out of Dubai for the Haj pilgrimage on Sunday, availing of dedicated Haj services at departure terminals.
More than 1,000 pilgrims this year have taken chartered or scheduled Haj flights, said Eisa Al Shamsi, director of Terminal 3 operations at Dubai International Airport.
The figure reaches a total of 7,000 pilgrims when adding transfer or transit passengers through Dubai, he added.
Fewer pilgrims have taken flights or buses out of the UAE since Saudi Arabia reduced pilgrim quotas for countries two years ago. The tighter quotas followed construction at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, which restricted the space available for Haj rites.
This year’s Haj quota – of about 4,980 people from the UAE – is lower than the 6,200 people allowed in 2012 from the Emirates.
At the three Dubai airport terminals, around 13 charted flights were pressed into Haj service, including those from Emirates, Saudi Arabian airlines, and flydubai. Last year, there were about 20 chartered flights.
This year, “pre-checks” were done at the immigration department for pilgrims to allow them quicker passage through immigration at the airport, Al Shamsi said.
Dedicated Haj services for pilgrims were provided at the terminals, such as a designated drop off area, welcome point, check in counters and dedicated lines for immigration.
Haj flights were docked at gates nearest to immigration so pilgrims had a less distance to walk to their planes, Al Shamsi added.
At Terminal 3 on Sunday, a number of government departments had set up stands for pilgrims, providing free Haj kits and information. Many of the kits included travel waist pouches, umbrellas, prayer mats, hand sanitisers, water bottles, and first aid boxes.
“We started with forming the Haj committee comprising various departments such as police, ambulance, immigration, and others. We are always at the service of pilgrims every year,” Al Shamsi said.
Also on Sunday, Eisa Al Maidour, director-general of Dubai Health Authority, visited Dubai International Airport for a Haj awareness campaign. He said several doctors and nurses, equipped with the latest medical equipment, were present in Terminal 1 and 3 and Concourse A.
The DHA team held free screenings including blood glucose tests for pilgrims and implemented a hand hygiene campaign.
