Qatar s Foreign Ministry is criticizing as "illogical" Saudi Arabia s decision to only fly Qatari pilgrims to the kingdom on Saudi aircraft, and cautioned against exploiting the hajj "as a tool for political manipulation."
The annual hajj pilgrimage is performed at Islam s holiest site in Mecca.
The ministry s statement, released Tuesday on the state-run Qatar News Agency, also criticized Saudi King Salman s offer to fly Qatari pilgrims at his expense. The ministry said the state of Qatar and Qatari pilgrims "don t need aid in terms of covering the cost of hajj and portraying it as a charity."
Last week, Saudi Arabia unilaterally reopened its border with Qatar to allow Qataris to attend the hajj amid a monthslong rift between the neighboring countries.
