Saudi King Salman invites Qatar pilgrims to Hajj

Saudi Arabia will open its land border with Qatar to allow Hajj pilgrims to pass through, its official press agency said.

A statement on the official Saudi Press Agency on Thursday said the Salwa border point would be open for Qatari citizens who wish to perform the annual pilgrimage to pass through with no electronic permissions needed.

The statement added that Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has invited Qatari pilgrims to perform this year’s Hajj pilgrimage at his expense.

King Salman also ordered that private jets belonging to Saudi airlines be sent to Doha airport “to bring all Qatari pilgrims on his expenses”.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani welcomed the decision, but insisted that Hajj should not be politicised and that the move should also include a full lifting of the political and economic blockade imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia and three other countries.

“Regardless of the manner in which Qataris were banned from the pilgrimage, which was politicised, and the manner in which they were again permitted to make the pilgrimage, which was also politicised … the government of Qatar welcomes the decision and will respond positively,” the foreign ministers said at a press conference with his Swedish counterpart in Stockholm on Thursday.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/saudi-king-salman-invites-qatar-pilgrims-hajj-170817034013009.html