Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah is bracing itself to receive around 20,000 flights carrying more than 7 million Umrah pilgrims from all over the world from today until the end of Ramadan. From the start of the current Umrah season which began on Nov. 23 until May 16, the airport received 23,000 flights carrying 4.4 million pilgrims, according to a report by Makkah daily on Monday. Khaled Al-Harbe, director of Haj and Umrah services at the airport, said the Haj terminal has been readied to receive the pilgrims. The terminal has 14 lounges for arrivals and departures. Al-Harbe said the terminal, with a total capacity of 60,000 pilgrims at a time, will be opened by the end of this week. “The terminal will work full force with enough staff to serve pilgrims until mid Shawwal (July 31),” Al-Harbe said. He said all government departments involved in Haj and Umrah services will be present at the terminal to provide services. Al-Harbe said there will be four passport desks, two for arriving pilgrims and two for departing ones. According to him, the service staff will receive the pilgrims when they get off the plane, take them to the passport desks, customs and finally drive them by minibuses to the buses waiting to take them to Makkah or Madinah.
