The people of Qatar are overjoyed at the order of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz to facilitate their Haj this year at his own expense despite their own government shutting all avenues before them to fulfill this fifth pillar of Islam. The King's order includes opening of the Saudi-Qatar land border to pilgrims, assigning special flights to fly Qatari pilgrims from Al-Ahsa, Dammam, and directly from Doha, and exempting them from the requirement of Haj permits. The humane gesture reflects the Kingdom's ethical approach to fellow Muslims, particularly pilgrims, and its brotherly feelings towards the friendly people of Qatar. It once again affirms the Kingdom's quest to bring about Islamic solidarity, as it has always been fighting for since its foundation. King Salman's positive response to Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani's mediation efforts to facilitate the Haj for Qatari citizens, despite the economic and political boycott, has been widely lauded at regional and international levels. Al-Thani tweeted Saturday that King Salman has ordered a special operations room to cater to the needs of the Qatari pilgrims. On the very first day of the royal order, 130 Qatari pilgrims and 50 Qatari vehicles crossed the Salwa border into Saudi Arabia. Othman Al-Ghamdi, Director General of Customs at the border, said various government agencies were mobilized to serve incoming Qatari pilgrims soon after the royal order was issued.
