Sana'a: The General Authority for Endowments and Guidance, represented by the Hajj and Umrah Sector, launched on Tuesday the process of dispatching pilgrims of the House of Allah for the Hajj season 1447 AH. During the launch, Deputy Head of the Authority Dr. Fouad Naji stated that the first overland trips of pilgrims departing from the capital, Sana'a, come after the preparation of a dedicated dispatch station. The facility was established by the Hajj and Umrah Sector in cooperation with the General Authority for Land Transport Regulation, to facilitate pilgrims' travel procedures and ensure their safety, including checking bus readiness and completing all regulatory measures.
According to Yemen News Agency, Dr. Naji highlighted the Authority's commitment to providing the best possible services to the guests of Allah amid the current challenges, pointing to what he described as continued restrictions imposed by the Saudi authorities preventing Yemeni citizens in Sana'a and free provinces from performing Hajj, due to the ongoing closure of Sana'a Airport and land crossings, except for Al-Wadiah crossing, which is witnessing overcrowding of hundreds of buses.
Dr. Naji also noted the suffering of pilgrims traveling via Al-Wadiah crossing, mentioning that some cases have resulted in death due to long waiting periods required to complete procedures. He emphasized that the Yemeni people have, since 2015, faced politicization of the Hajj pilgrimage and its use as a pressure card, along with increased costs and weak service levels compared to previous seasons, despite the high fees collected from pilgrims.
The Deputy Head of the Authority called on the Saudi authorities to reopen the electronic registration system for the Sana'a-based government through the Hajj and Umrah Sector, to compensate the Yemeni people for their suffering, and to refrain from using Hajj as a political tool, stressing that it is one of the pillars of Islam and should be kept away from conflicts.
For his part, Undersecretary of the Hajj and Umrah Sector Sheikh Muqbil Al-Kadhi confirmed that the launch of the pilgrims' dispatch process comes within joint coordination between the General Authority for Endowments and Guidance, represented by the Hajj and Umrah Sector, the General Authority for Land Transport Regulation, and the Yemeni Economic Corporation, to dispatch the first trips under Yemen's quota of 21,000 pilgrims, reduced from 25,000.
Sheikh Al-Kadhi pointed to what he described as manipulation by the Saudi authorities and their affiliates in reducing the quota by 4,000 pilgrims, while Yemen's population exceeds 35 million. He explained that a dedicated central dispatch yard has been prepared to serve all Hajj agencies, with full equipment and supervision to ensure bus safety and completion of dispatch procedures, enabling smooth organization after years of fragmentation in dispatch locations.
He praised the efforts of the Authority's leadership in overcoming difficulties and obstacles related to pilgrim dispatch, commending the role of directors and staff of the Hajj and Umrah Sector in monitoring and directly supervising the dispatch process.