Brunei Embassy Diplomats In Saudi Arabia Denies They Are Evacuating

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Saudi Arabia has denied a report that its diplomats were vacating their posts.

The report had erroneously stated that the Brunei diplomats were returning home this week accompanying local pilgrims who are hurriedly brought home because of the war situation.

"There is no truth in the report," an Embassy official said.

Meanwhile batches of Brunei pilgrims continued to arrive here earlier than usual because of a possible war in Iraq.

More than 1,000 Brunei pilgrims had gone to Mecca for the holy sojourn this year.

The first group of the Brunei Haj pilgrims using the Darussalam Holding Package has returned home safely after performing the obligatory Fifth Pillar of Islam in the Holy Land of Mecca.

The special Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) brought 149 Haj pilgrims landing at the Brunei International Airport at 11pm on Sunday night.

As usual, hundreds of relatives and friends were at the airport to welcome them home.

Meanwhile, the second group of the Darussalam Holding Package participants comprising 249 Haj pilgrims arrived at 2.30pm yesterday. The flight was an hour late.

Today, there will be two flights bringing home the remaining pilgrims.

According to the Haj Management Department, the re-scheduled flights of Brunei's Haj pilgrims came following an instruction from His Majesty's government, which directed the Religious Affairs Ministry through the Haj Management Department to implement speedy evacuation.

Brudirect.com