Religious affairs minister to Echourouk: The number of pilgrims will rise in the future

The religious affairs minister Bou Abdellah Ghoulam Allah has announced a suggestion to increase the number of the Algerian pilgrims at a level of 38 thousands next season in accordance of the number of the Algerian population that reached over 38 million inhabitants.

To recall, the Saudi authorities grant a quota representing 1%  for each million inhabitants making of Algerian one of the biggest applicants in the Muslim world.

Talking yesterday to Echourouk from Saudi Arabia, the minister has indicated that he met the representatives of the Saudi authorities and agreed upon the sending of 36 thousand Algerian pilgrims for the season 2013- 2014.

Discussions are underway to increase the number to 38 thousands for the upcoming seasons in line with growing Algerian population, noting that the Algerian citizen is much more concerned about getting his passport than the cost of the pilgrimage.

He has indicated that all the buildings that the Algerian delegation used to hire for the pilgrims in the previous seasons were destroyed by the Saudi authorities forcing the agencies to negotiate over substitute ones premises for the future pilgrims.