Head of Pilgrimage National Office to Echorouk: “All is done for Algerian pilgrims' welfare”

The head of the Pilgrimage National Office, Cheikh Berbara yesterday paid a visit to “Echourouk” headquarters arms full with rent contracts sealed with the Saudi authorities on behalf of the Algerian pilgrims as well as other files in relation to the latest preparations for this annual religious event.

• Taking the floor before journalists for over three hours, he laid out the procedures undertaken by his institution be it in Saudi Arabia or Algeria revealing to the audience with official reports what has been done. He also revealed that sick people will not be allowed to travel to the holy land and the rent fees soared by 10% denying rumors that the prices plummeted
• 200 additional Saudi Rials  for each pilgrim:
• The Algerian authorities have decided to give 200 additional Saudi Rial for each pilgrim increasing their travel allowances to 2500 Saudi Rial compared with the previous 2300 giving in the past.
• This move is aimed at standing for the food and drink charges in the holly land, M Berbarra added, indicating that the catering system implemented in the past has been cancelled.
• He denied the existence of health check up system to pick up sick pilgrims which explains that pregnant women took part in the voyage, pushing the Saudi authorities to comment on the fact saying that the Algerian are flocking to the holly land for medical purposes despite the availability of health facilities in their home country. He indicated that some pilgrims that moved to the holy land were treated for diabetes, kidney failure and hypertension, that’s why it has been decided to call on specialists to check this year’s pilgrims because, as he put it, “ It is impossible to deny the right to pilgrimage for elders”.
• M Berbarra revealed that the Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia has ordered the interior minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni to reduce to maximum the period passports’ issues for future pilgrims, adding that the Algerian authorities have to comply with the Saudi legislation when dealing with identity photos joined to the passports. The Saudi authorities required beardless and unveiled faces for security reasons, he said.
• Swine Flu will not cancel the pilgrimage season
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• M Berbarra has denied the probability that the Saudi authorities would cancel this year’s pilgrimage because of the swine flu epidemic saying that the pilgrims could be treated with vaccines. As to a question whether Pilgrimage is at stake, he replied that “the office is not able to predict”.