His Excellence Mr. Li Chengwen, Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, expressed his greetings and congratulations to the leadership, government and people of the Kingdom on Eid Al-Adha.

“I would like to extend, on behalf of over 21 million Chinese Muslims and the staff of the Chinese Embassy to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and His Crown Prince and Minister of Defense, Prince Salman as well as to the good people of Saudi Arabia,” Chengwen said.

He said in the past year, under the leadership King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia has maintained social stability and economic prosperity, and its people have lived in peace and contentment.

“Saudi Arabia has played an increasingly important role in regional and international affairs,” the ambassador said. “King Abdullah has made great contribution to the harmonious coexistence of different civilizations and different religions by promoting dialogues.”

He added that “We are glad to see these remarkable achievements of the Kingdom, and believe the Saudi people will make further progress under the leadership of King Abdullah.”

The envoy noted that Islam has had a history of 1,360 years in China since its first introduction to China in 651 AD. There are 10 Muslim ethnic groups in China with a population of more than 21 million, and there are about 45,000 mosques around China.

He said that China consistently pursues a policy of freedom of religious beliefs, and respects the beliefs and lifestyles of the Chinese citizens. The Chinese Muslims live in harmony with the other ethnic groups, he said. Today, they are also celebrating Eid Al-Adha in the same way as Saudis .

According to the envoy, this year, more than 13,800 Chinese Muslims came to Saudi Arabia for Haj.

“I would like to convey, on behalf of them, sincere thanks to King Abdullah and all the staff for Haj service,” he said. “Last but not least, I wish the Kingdom prosperity and the Saudi people happiness,” he said.

Chengwen told Arab News that Chinese contractors are now ready to operate and provide the best services and performance during this Haj season to ensure the safety of pilgrims traveling by train.

He said that they are working in full swing to provide services and facilities for the pilgrims coming from all over the world. The project, too, is a gift from King Abdullah to the Muslims across the world. It will really ease the traffic congestion besides ensuring pilgrims’ safety and comfort.

“I visited the places and listened to the employees and inquired about their welfare. They really put in a great effort because the project for laying the track for Train No. 70 has to be ready in a limited period of time. The project also has to be managed with the utmost accuracy to done in the interest of the pilgrims’ safety,” he said.

Chinese companies are required to maintain a strong work ethic and the utmost discipline. It is an onerous task for the management, which also has to ensure the safety of the equipment.

He said, “I do follow up the matter with both field visits and through direct communication with the top executives who update me.”

This year will be the last year of the project, which has been under implementation for the last three years under the contract. The first two years passed successfully as the Chinese firms further streamlined their performance to finish the work on time.