All winners in draw will perform Hadj this year, says minister

Algerian religious affairs minister Bouabdellah Ghoulamallah said the number of winners in Hadj draw 2013 was not reduced. “All the winners in the Hadj draw 2013 were taken in consideration and they are about 25,000 pilgrims.”

The minister told journalists that all the pilgrims who were selected by draw will go to the Holy Places except those rejected by the medical commission due to their health condition. “Their number is not very big.”

Earlier, Ghoulamallah said Algeria’s quota in terms of pilgrims this year will be reduced and authorities would conduct a second draw in all the provinces.

This comes as General Director of Hadj and Omra Office Cheikh Berbara had hold a meeting with travel agencies which came up with 20 percent reduction in the quota of each agency in charge of supervising the current Hadj season.

Speaking about the Great Mosque of Algiers, the minister said works are conducted in conformity with fixed dates and technical criteria are respected. “Some complicated aspects will be done by the end of 2013.”

The Algerian health ministry allocated 11 tons of medicines in favour for pilgrims.

Doctor Abdelkader Kenar, an inspector at the ministry said 40 people were excluded from Hadj performance because they suffer kidney failure, serious heart and mental diseases. Some of the female applicants were rejected because they were pregnant.