Saudi Arabian King Salman Bin Abdulaziz has directed authorities in his country to host 1,000 families of Egyptian army and police personnel killed on duty to perform this year’s pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca in September, the Saudi embassy in Cairo announced on Monday.

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Egypt Ahmed Kattan said the move is a show of appreciation for the sacrifices of members of the Egyptian army and police in defending their nation.

Egyptians are among the top nationalities that perform the Hajj to Mecca, with nearly 90,000 Egyptian pilgrims expected to perform the hajj this year.

Egypt’s army and police forces have been fighting Islamist insurgents in North Sinai for several years, with hundreds of security personnel killed in militant attacks, as well as hundreds of militants killed in security campaigns.