CAIRO (AA) – Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz on Saturday offered to host 1,000 relatives of slain Egyptian army and police personnel — killed in recent militant attacks — for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The invitation “was made as part of the annual Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Hajj Guests Program”, the official SPA news agency reported.
This is the second time for the oil-rich kingdom to host relatives of slain Egyptian security personnel.
Last year, Riyadh hosted 1,000 relatives of Egyptian army and police personnel killed in militant attacks “in respect of families of martyrs who sacrificed their souls in defense of the homeland”, according to a statement issued by the Saudi Embassy at the time.
Egypt has been hit by a spate of militant attacks in recent years, particularly in the restive Sinai Peninsula.
Around 78,000 Egyptians are going to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage this year, which will start next week.
