<p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL</a> and Religious Affairs (MoHRA) on Sunday said the first flight carrying hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia would depart 20 days later.</p>
<p>Faizullah Osmani, hajj and religious affairs minister, told the <a href="/en/meshrano-jirga" class="glossify-link">Meshrano Jirga</a> or the upper house that all needed facilities for 30,000 intending Afghan pilgrims had been made available.</p>
<p>Of the mentioned number of pilgrims, 24,400 are ordinary people, 5,600 are heirs of martyrs, disabled people and those introduced by Parliament members, provincial councils, Cabinet and the Afghan military, Osmani said.<a name="_GoBack" id="_GoBack"></a></p>
<p>He added a high-level Afghan delegation traveled to Saudi Arabia and took all necessary measures such as providing residence, food and transport facilities to Afghan pilgrims in the kingdom.</p>
<p>The minister said the pilgrimage cost had gone $50 up reaching $2,600 each pilgrim, compared to last year’s cost.</p>
<p>He said high rent and providing some more facilities for pilgrims were reasons behind the increase in the Hajj performing cost.</p>
<p>Seventy percent of Afghan pilgrims would be transported by the Kam Air airline and the rest by the state-owned Ariana Afghan Airlines, he said.</p>
<p>He added 600 guiders would be tasked with guiding Afghan pilgrims during the Hajj performance.</p>
<p>mds/ma</p>
