Saudi Arabia

30 June 2023; MEMO: Saudi Arabia has so far refused to sign a document committing to free access to all UNESCO members for the World Heritage Committee's meeting in September, with the issue of allowing Israeli officials to enter the country as the main sticking point, Axios quoted informed Israeli officials and Western diplomats as saying.

RIYADH, Jun 28 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq al-Rabiah, announced, more than 1.8 million worshippers from over 150 countries are performing the Hajj this year.

The number of pilgrims from Arab countries reached more than 346,000, or 21 percent of the total, the General Authority for Statistics said, yesterday.

Among the pilgrims were more than one million from Asian countries, excluding Arab nations, making up 63.5 percent of the total, while nearly 223,000 pilgrims, or 13.4 percent of the total, came from African countries, excluding Arab nations.

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims on Wednesday braved intense heat to perform the symbolic stoning of the devil during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

With morning temperatures rising past 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Farenheit), huge crowds of pilgrims walked or took buses to the vast Jamarat complex just outside the holy city of Mecca, where large pedestrian bridges lead past three wide pillars representing the devil.

27 June 2023; MEMO: The 2023 Club World Cup will take place in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, football's world governing body FIFA said on Monday. Reuters reported that the decision was announced following a FIFA delegation visit to Jeddah last week to assess ongoing preparations for the tournament.

26 June 2023; MEMO: Palestinian pilgrim, Abu Anas Abu Rahal, was hoping to find cheaper lodgings for a week-long stay in Islam's holiest sites in Saudi Arabia, as the minimum cost for the Hajj pilgrimage climbed to 26,000 riyals ($7,000) this year. His options were limited, Reuters reports.

The 65-year-old struggled to pay the bill, despite choosing the cheapest-offered package, which included travelling to Saudi Arabia by land and sharing hotel rooms with other pilgrims.

26 June 2023; MEMO: Saudi Arabia has launched development projects worth 1.2 billion Saudi riyals ($320 million) in Yemen's Hadramout region, a Yemeni official announced yesterday, Anadolu news agency reported.

The Undersecretary of the Yemeni Ministry of Information, Muhammad Gezan, said: "The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen has launched a package of development and vital projects and programs in Hadramout, with a value exceeding 1.2 billion Saudi riyals ($320 million)."

MAKKAH, June 26 (APP):The last daunting three years had witnessed a sharp reduction in the scale of annual pilgrimage amid the Covid-19 pandemic but Hajj this year is featuring a historic capacity of pilgrims, gathering in and around the Holy City to begin their lifetime spiritual journey.

More than 2.5 million pilgrims from 160 countries around the world and locals are expected to converge on Islam’s holiest mosque in Makkah.

MAKKAH, June 24 (APP): Minister for Interior and Chairman of Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, in a demonstration of his commitment to ensuring the safety and security of pilgrims embarking on the Hajj journey, personally supervised the readiness of the Hajj security forces as this important task aimed to guarantee consistent security measures throughout the Hajj season.

Prince Abdulaziz’s involvement was evident as he graced the annual ceremony of the Hajj security forces, held to acknowledge their participation in this year’s Hajj season the other day.

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims streamed into the holy city of Mecca on Friday ahead of the start of Hajj next week, as the annual pilgrimage returns to its monumental scale after three years of heavy restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Saudi officials say close to 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in the country so far, the vast majority by air. More are expected, and hundreds of thousands of Saudis and others living in Saudi Arabia will also join them when the pilgrimage officially begins on Monday.

MAKKAH MUKARMA , Jun 20 (APP):The Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission’s main hospital here at Aziziyah, in collaboration with Saudi authorities, has been providing medical facilities to over 5,000 pilgrims daily.

Besides the main hospital, nine dispensaries manned by some 521 doctors and paramedical staff were providing free of charge medical assistance to the Hajj pilgrims in the holy city, Brig Dr. Shahamad Ali, Director of Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission told APP on Tuesday.