Going on ‘Umrah,’ a pilgrimage to Mecca, is for a lot of Muslims who don’t have the financial means a dream that can hardly come true. For 45 elderly people, aged between 60 till 80 years, their first Umrah became a long waited dream come true.
Last week the Omani Association for Friends of the Elderly bid farewell to the pilgrims in Muscat with a reception, with gifts and with words spoken by volunteers of the Association and one elderly. The Omani Association for Friends of the Elderly is an official non-profit organization under the Ministry of Social Development and established in 2011.
The pilgrims were selected from all the governorates of Oman. So also from Salalah, pilgrims took part on this journey. Instead of going by bus, the pilgrims took a flight to Mecca. Beside Umrah, the pilgrimage includes also visits to Mecca and Medina. The initiative is supported by private and public institutions. On the 21st of April the pilgrims return to Muscat. Afterwards the participants of the Governorate of Dhofar will fly back to Salalah.
PHOTOCREDITS: Courtesy Omani Association for Friends of the Elderly
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