Hajj minister praises men who helped lost pilgrim

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Hajj minister praised a group of kind-hearted individuals for aiding a distressed pilgrim in Makkah.

A group of men were seen assisting the pilgrim who had become lost and ended up on a highway in the holy city. The men, depicted in a viral video, then drove the pilgrim back to his residence.

Pilgrims are issued an ID card, known as the Nusuk Card, which allows others to assist them if they get lost or separated from their group. The men were observed scanning the barcode on his name tag to find his residence information.

During the drive back to his residence, he attempted to express his gratitude by offering them money, but they declined.

The man in the video mentioned that this was the second time he had encountered such a situation, with the first involving an Indian pilgrim. The clip concluded with the thankful pilgrim entering his residence.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah underscored the importance of the Nusuk Card, which also grants pilgrims access to all holy sites and facilitates their Hajj journey with various services.

The card must be carried throughout the entire Hajj period, from arrival and within the holy sites until departure, according to the ministry.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, mandating every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime, provided they are financially and physically able.