In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Honored pilgrims,
I greet you all with the greeting of Islam, and I ask God, exalted be He, to grant you complete safety, to ease your pilgrimage to His Sacred House, and to return you to your homelands in full health and peace of mind.
This country—its government and its people—welcomes you with the warmest welcome. You must be assured that you are not strangers here; you are in your own land, among your families and brothers. Moreover, you are the delegation of God and His guests, deserving of every care and honor.
The government, for its part, has prepared all that is necessary to provide you with comfort. You will find the utmost attention and hospitality from all officials of our government.
Since—as you know, may God bless you—the Hijaz is extremely hot in the summer season, during which this blessed pilgrimage will take place, especially in Mecca and Medina—may God honor them both—I wish to draw your attention to the importance of taking the precautions that will assist the government in ensuring the comfort it has prepared for you. This includes protecting yourselves as much as possible from sunstroke and intense heat during your movements and while performing the rites, promptly visiting the government hospitals spread throughout all areas of the pilgrimage sites, where treatment is provided free of charge, and observing the instructions issued by the authorities responsible for your welfare. By doing so, the intended goal of ensuring your complete comfort and well‑being will be achieved.
In conclusion, we ask the Generous God to grant us success in all that brings goodness and righteousness.
Umm al‑Qura Newspaper