Red Carpet Welcome Rolled out for King Salman Hajj, Umrah Program Pilgrims

Network News Monitor – KSA – Makkah

21 August 2018

Red Carpet Welcome Rolled out for King Salman Hajj,Umrah Program Pilgrims Makkah Celebrating incoming pilgrims, Saudi youth are welcoming this year’s guests of the King Salman for Hajj and Umrah Program with zamzam drinking water poured pitcher to cup while chanting traditional recites.

Welcoming Hajj goers with warm smiling faces reflects how the Saudi youth value the importance of serving pilgrims to facilitate their journey and ensure they enjoy a safe and joyful pilgrimage.

Faisal Al Moallem leads a group of young Saudis who work diligently on serving zamzam water to pilgrims.

Moallem, after 18 years of dedication, recounts how he was born into the service and how his father would introduce him into delivering one of Hajj’s highlights to pilgrims.

Eighteen years into pouring out zamzam water at pilgrimage receptions, Moallem says that not only is he passionate about pouring out the holy water, but also considers it a great honor and privilege to be able to spend one of Islam’s two major holidays serving pilgrims.

 “It is an indescribable feeling when we tell them that it is Zamzam water,” says Moallem when explaining the joy brought about when giving out zamzam water to pilgrims.

“Some ask for another cup to quench their thirst,” he adds.

Signifying respect and honor found in serving Palestinian and Egyptian pilgrims who lost their family members during wars, Saudi authorities also rolled out a red carpet welcome at the Guests of King Salman Hajj and Umrah Program headquarters.

Historians say that red carpet welcomes date back to Babylonian civilization in the fifth century BC when it was used to welcome the Greek King Agamemnon to celebrate winning consecutive victories for his country.

Used for royal welcomes, red carpets were made famous for their lustrous look and high cost. Other historians said that the modern-day red carpet tradition was reinvented by a former US railroad official at the turn of the century.

They pointed out that red carpets used for passenger corridors at railway stations are bright even in the dark.

It was introduced in New York in 1902, then in Chicago and later gained popularity across the United States.

In time, the tradition of rolling out red carpets was redefined to denote respect and formal VIP reception.