Doha, Qatar: French traveler Mohamed Boulabiar has achieved a remarkable feat by walking over 8,000 kilometers across 13 countries to reach Saudi Arabia for Umrah. His journey, which spanned eight months, concluded in Madinah on May 14, 2024, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
In an interview with SPA, Boulabiar shared that his journey was largely smooth, with weather posing the only significant challenge. Starting his trek in the summer and continuing through autumn, winter, and into spring, he faced diverse climatic conditions. A snowstorm at the Greek border delayed his progress by a week.
Reaching Madinah marked his first visit to the Gulf region and was a dream come true. “I traversed over 8,000 kilometers during the journey, crossing 12 countries before arriving in Saudi Arabia, the 13th country in my journey. I began from France, traversing Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkiye, and Jordan, before finally reaching Saudi Arabia,” he detailed.
Boulabiar documented his epic walk on social media, including Instagram and TikTok. He began his journey from Paris in the last week of August, after a year of physical and mental preparation.
Expressing his joy, Boulabiar stated, “I did not encounter any problems en route, but the weather was challenging. However, reaching Madinah makes it all worth it.”
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