Dignitaries Make Trek To Mecca

The Sultan of Brunei, the world’s richest man, was among prominent Muslims who made the pilgrimage to Mecca this year, a Saudi-owned newspaper reported.

The pilgrimage, or hajj, culminated Tuesday with a record 2.5 million faithful in white robes gathered for prayers around Mount Arafat outside Mecca.

The Al-Hayat newspaper, published in London, said Jamil Assad, brother of Syrian President Hafez Assad also came, as did Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Assembly for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.