Pilgrims go through passport control upon their arrival at Jeddah airport in the Saudi capital on Saturday, prior to the start of the annual Haj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca. The Haj, the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in the lifetime of every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. — AFP