2008 pilgrimage to Islam holy places will be hard for Algerians, Hadj office says

According to the National Office in charge of the Hadj and Omra, the 2008 pilgrimage to the holy places of Islam in Saudi Arabia risks to be harder for Algerian Hadjis than the previous years.

This is the result of big renovations works undertaken recently by the Saudi authorities around holy places notably in the city of Mecca .

Over 1200 buildings and hotels were razed to the ground by local construction companies to make room for bigger and more spacious residences and places of worship and meditation to shelter the millions of Muslim pilgrims each year.

Officials from the Algerian Religious Affairs Ministry are now in close contact with Saudi authorities in order to find adequate means to allow the Algerian Hadjis to fulfil their annual Hadj pilgrimage in the best conditions notably in terms of proper accommodation and catering.