Saudi Arabia received Friday with flowers the first batch of pilgrims to perform Hajj this year. The first two ships that arrived through Jeddah Islamic Port carried 2,300 people from Sudan Director General of Passports Maj. Gen. Sulaiman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Yahya said the General Directorate of Passports has finished all required preparations for hajj this year according to the annual plan for hosting the guests of the Great Mosque of Mecca. He added that qualified and trained staff were well prepared for this season of pilgrimage - supported with modern devices to ensure the validity of all passports and visa. Hajj Abdullah Ismail, 72, said: “after 33 years of longing and desire, the dream of reaching the land of the Two Holy Mosques came true. I am overwhelmed with the reception we found here.” Aisha Mohammad al-Khair, 55, said: “I came to the kingdom when I was six to perform Umrah with my father and today I am back here with my oldest son. I have started preparing for this ritual a month ago.” Altayeb Salah, 60, shed tears of joy as he spoke: “I will never forget this moment, as my dream to perform pilgrimage came true.” Husainah Khairallah added that she was happy during her trip from Sudan to Jeddah Islamic Port to the extent that she couldn’t fall asleep. Dr. Nashwan Abdullah, the director of the centers, said that staff there check everyone arriving at the port is vaccinated against meningitis and yellow fever, in line with the ministry’s instructions. Vaccinations are provided for those who need them and preventive treatment is available for pregnant women, the elderly and children. Pilgrims are also offered first-aid kits, information booklets and umbrellas. Abdullah said processing of the first group of pilgrims went very smoothly thanks to the efforts of medical and support teams. The center has 115 teams, which include doctors and technicians. In addition to carrying out the health checks, the medics can provide urgently needed medications, and medical equipment is available to treat emergency cases among pilgrims and port workers.