Saudi Arabia bans carrying Zamzam water in baggage

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has barred passengers from carrying Zamzam water on flights in checked-in luggage.

Saudi General Aviation Authority has issued an official notification for the new guideline, restricting pilgrims from carrying Zamzam water back to their countries. The directive comes ahead of Zil Hajj, the holy month for the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj.

All the airlines have been instructed to ensure that none of the passengers travelling through Jeddah or any other airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have bottles filled with Aab-e-Zamzam. It said action will be taken against the airlines in case of violation of the new orders.

Aab-e-Zamzam is the water from the well of Zamzam, located in Masjid al-Haram, Makkah, which is a miraculously generated source of water as per Islamic history.

The Zamzam well, which is located 20 metres from the Kaabah, is known as the oldest of its kind. The well is approximately 4000 years old as per the Islamic calendar.

The water has great religious significance and people take it back to their countries in great amount after performing Hajj or Umrah. Muslims believe that the well appeared in the year of the birth of Hazrat Ismail (AS) in Makkah.