Dhaka, Aug 9 (UNB) - BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, who reached Saudi Arabia on Thursday morning, will perform Umrah on Friday night.

BNP chairperson's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told UNB that the opposition leader reached King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah in the morning (Local time).

Royal protocol officials and expatriate BNP leaders received Khaleda Zia upon her arrival at the airport.

From the airport, she drove to Taif Royal Conference Palace where she will stay overnight as a royal guest.

She is scheduled to go to Makkah on Friday morning and say Jumma to Esha prayers at Masjid ul Haram there.

Later, Khaleda will perform Umrah and offer a special munajat seeking peace, progress and prosperity of the country and the Muslim Ummah, Maruf Kamal said.

She is also expected to perform Itiqaf (special prayers) at the Masjid-e-Nabvi in Madinah.

Khaleda left Dhaka on Wednesday on a flight of Emirates Airlines for the Saudi Kingdom on a 10-day visit at the invitation of the Saudi King to perform Umrah.

Khaleda’s family members, including her younger brother Shamim Iskasndar’s wife Kaniz Fatema and her youngest son Arafat Rahman’s wife Sharmila Rahman, are accompanying the former premier.

Earlier, on June 15, the BNP chief had been in Saudi Arabia for medical checkup, also at the invitation of the Saudi government.

The BNP chief is expected to return home after Shab-e-Qadr on August 18.