Shana- NIORDC has announced a boost in fuel storage in the provinces near Iran-Iraq border in order to prevent any fuel shortage for Arba'ein march.

Every year, millions of Shi'a Muslims from Iran head to the city of Karbala, Iraq, to mark the 40th day of the martyrdom of the third Shia Imam, also called Arba'ein.

Abbas Kazempour, director of operations at the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIORDC), told Shana that the company is fully ready to receive marchers on the days preceding Arba'ein.

He said the storage of fuel in the cities southwestern cities of Ilam, Ahvaz and Abadan has been raised by 50% so that the pilgrims will have no worries for fuel supply.

Each year, a huge crowd of Shia Muslims march toward Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites. Many of them also visit Imam Ali’s (AS) holy shrine in Najaf.

In the past few years, around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world, including Iran, took part in the mourning ceremonies in Iraqi holy cities marking Arba'ein.

This year, Arba'ein falls on Sunday, November 20.