Manama, Oct. 1. (BNA) – Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa received here today the 40th BDF Hajj mission whose members will perform the Hajj rituals with all expenses paid by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander.

Shaikh Khalifa said such a Royal kind gesture has enabled the BDF to organize Hajj trips for its affiliates, lauding such an annual habit spearheaded by HM the King since 1975 in tribute to BDF affiliates’ loyalty and dedication.

The Commander-in-Chief conveyed to them greetings from HM the King and wishes of successful performance of the Hajj rituals, along with other Hajj pilgrims.

He requested members of the BDF Hajj Mission to cooperate with other pilgrims and adhere to the precepts of the Islamic religion, wishing them successful Hajj rituals and the wise leadership, the Bahraini people and the Arab and Islamic nations a happy return of the occasion and further progress and prosperity.

The BDF Commander-in-Chief lauded the services provided by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdulla bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in order to enable them to perform the holy rituals easily.

The Chief of Staff Major-General Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa, Assistant Chief of Staff for Human Resources Major-General Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Director of the BDF General Command’s Court Major-General Youssef Ahmed Al-Jalahma and Director of Religious Guidance Brigadier Ahmed Abdulla Al-Humaidan and a number of senior BDF officers.

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BNA 1436 GMT 2013/10/01