Saudi- Muslim leaders commend Haj services 

(MENAFN - Arab News) Muslim leaders from all over the world who performed Haj this year as guests of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah commended Saudi Arabia's efforts in the service of pilgrims.

Yaqub Taraure, Mali's religious affairs minister, said the facilities provided by Saudi authorities helped millions of pilgrims perform their religious rituals with ease and he applauded the tremendous progress made by Saudi Arabia.

Ahmed Baroza Taher of Cameroon thanked Saudi authorities for their hospitality. He commended the Saudi government for implementing mega projects for the development of the two holy mosques and improvement of Haj services.

Ibrahim Omar Ahmed, secretary-general of Banan Charitable Organization in Sudan, was happy to have an opportunity to perform Haj. He said, "It was a well-organized program." Ahmed praised the Saudi government for its efforts to make pilgrimage an easy task for the millions of Muslim faithful by implementing huge projects such as the Mashair Railway and Jamrat Bridge.

Abdullah Abubacker of Kenyatta University said he learned many lessons from Haj and that the annual pilgrimage emphasized the need to strengthen Muslim unity. "I had seen negative reports about Saudi Arabia in the media," Abubacker said, adding that the visit changed his perception about the Kingdom and its people.

Abdullah Bam from Senegal, who performed his first Haj in 2003, said he saw a tremendous improvement in Haj services in the past 10 years. "I can see a big difference in services and facilities in Makkah and the holy sites," he said, adding that many new projects have facilitated the movement of pilgrims.

Overall feedback was positive and many are thankful for a successful Haj season.