Iranian umrah pilgrims depart for Saudi Arabia after 10-year hiatus

Tehran, IRNA – The first caravan of Umrah Hajj pilgrims has embarked on the spiritual journey to Mecca on Monday after a 10-year hiatus.

The official seeing-off ceremony of the pilgrims was held at Imam Khomeini International Airport on Monday, attended by the Leader’s representative in Hajj and pilgrimage affairs, Abdolfattah Navvab, head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Abbas Hosseini, and the Saudi Ambassador to Tehran Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi.

Iran will dispatch Umrah pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from 11 airports across the country starting on Monday, Mohammad-Hossein Ajilian, who is in charge of Hajj operations in Iran Airports Company, said on Saturday.

Ajilian added that 11 flights from as many airports are scheduled to fly Iranians to Saudi Arabia to make the Umrah pilgrimage.

Mashhad’s international airport will also conduct the first such flight on Monday, and airports in other major cities, including Zahedan, Ahvaz, Tabriz, Yazd, Kerman, Bandar Abbas, Sari, Isfahan, and Shiraz, will charter one flight each on the following days.

The airport in Mashahd will operate the last flight to Saudi Arabia on May 2.

Ajilian noted that a total of 5,720 pilgrims are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia this year.