Saudi authorities nab Pakistani-American pilot
From Musa A. Tijjani, in Jeddah

A Pakistani-American pilot engaged by a Nigerian private tour operator was over the weekend arrested by Saudi Arabian authorities for flying over the Prophet Muhammad (SAW's) mosque in Madina.
According to the authorities, the pilot, AbdulWaheed Salahuddeen was arrested for contravening the Saudi aviation laws which bar any aeroplane from flying over the two holy mosques in both Makkah and Madinah.
Salahuddeen had earlier been asked by the control tower at Jeddah International Airport to proceed to Madina as a result of congestion at the airport which made it impossible for landing at that particular hour.
Sources said the pilot was interrogated by the Saudi Arabian authorities and was released twelve hours later.
The client to the airline and a tour operator, Abdul Rahman bin Sheikh informed newsmen that the action of the pilot was not intentional but his poor understanding of the terrain.
He said that following the banning of the pilot, his agency had to contract another pilot to airlift about 500 Nigeran international mostly from Lagos state who paid through his organisation thereby incurring more cost.
Speaking on the matter, Chairman of the Aviation Sub-Committee of the Presidential Committee on Hajj (PCH), Alhaji Liad Tella confirmed the incident, saying that this led to a four-day delay in the aierlift of some Nigerian pilgrims who engaged the agency's services.Nigeria’s president committee on Hajj (phc),also confirmed that the pilot was drunk.