MAKKAH: In a rare and coincidental alignment, this year’s public service camps organized by the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association for Hajj have brought together three sets of Saudi twins.

Hailing from the scout group of the Civil Development Association in Riyadh’s Al-Rabie neighborhood, these six young men are united in their dedication to serving pilgrims, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The twins — Hussam and Issam Saeed Al-Qarni, Azzam and Ammar Suleiman Al-Sulaiman, and Walid and Muhannad Abdul-Hakim Al-Otaibi — are bound not only by family ties and similar appearances, but also by a shared passion for scouting and commitment to volunteer work and pilgrim service.

Hussam and Issam said: “Scouting was not just a passing activity, but a life path chosen with conviction from a young age.”

They emphasized they were raised to love their country, and that scouting has allowed them to express this through guiding pilgrims, providing first aid, and offering various forms of assistance.

They also stressed that “every moment during the pilgrimages is a new lesson in patience, compassion, and discipline.”

Azzam and Ammar said that the experience has deepened their bond, adding with pride: “We thought we knew each other well, but in the atmosphere of the pilgrimages and under the pressure of tasks, we discovered new dimensions of cooperation and interdependence.

“We work as a team, complementing each other, and everything we do is for the comfort of the pilgrim, whom we consider our guest. It is our duty to provide them with the utmost comfort.”

Walid and Muhannad Abdul-Hakim Al-Otaibi expressed their profound pride in participating, describing it as life-changing. “Today, we are not only serving, but also learning how to stand calmly in the midst of a crowd, how to take initiative without expecting thanks, and how scouting can be a comprehensive educational field,” they said.

“Being here together, two brothers and twins, experiencing the same thing and sharing every detail, is something we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.”

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Health Minister Fahad Abdulrahman AlJalajel recently visited a Hajj pilgrim who had received emergency cardiac surgery at East Arafat Hospital.

The minister, who is also chairman of the Health Holding Co., made the visit during an inspection tour of healthcare facilities before the pilgrimage begins later this week, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The hospital is one of several medical facilities serving the holy sites during the Hajj.