Qatar hits out at Saudi’s restrictions on Haj flights

Doha, Aug 22 (IANS) Qatar strongly criticised Saudi Arabia for imposing restrictions on flights transporting Qatari Haj pilgrims to the kingdom, the media reported on Tuesday.

"Limiting the transfer of Qatari pilgrims to Saudi Arabian Airlines is unprecedented, illogical, surprising and contravenes the teachings of Islam," Xinhau news agency quoted Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Rumaihi, the ministry's information office director, as saying in a statement.

The strongly worded statement came as Saudi Arabia said Qatari pilgrims could travel to the kingdom to perform Haj only by taking Saudi airlines.

"It is usual and customary for pilgrims from any country to be transported by the national air, land and sea travel organisations in that country, in addition to other foreign means of transportation, with the latter taking place as part of the national Haj mission," the statement said.

The Qatari official highlighted the need to separate Haj from political differences and avoid hindering Haj performance by imposing conditions that affect the sovereignty of states or the rights and dignity of their citizens.

Doha earlier denied a claim by Saudi Arabian Airlines that Qatari authorities refused to allow one of its flights to land inside the country.

Saudi Arabia, together with the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a full blockade on it in June, citing Doha's support for terrorism and interfering in the domestic affairs of its neighbours.

But Saudi reopened its land border with Qatar last week to allow access to the kingdom by Qatari Haj pilgrims, despite the blockade.

Saudi has also allocated seven flights of its national carrier to bring pilgrims from Qatar, whose national carrier Qatar Airways is barred from flying to the kingdom due to the blockade.

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