The Prophet’s Mosque welcomed worshippers and visitors on the Day of Arafah amid an integrated system of services provided by the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque to help facilitate worship and create a suitable spiritual atmosphere. Since the early morning hours, the Prophet’s Mosque and its courtyards witnessed the arrival of large numbers of worshippers and visitors from various nationalities, many of whom were devoted to spending the blessed day in prayer, supplication, and Quran recitation. To support the flow of visitors, the authority mobilized its operational and service resources, including…
Author: Editorial Team
BANGKOK — Rescuers in Laos on Wednesday found five villagers alive inside a flooded cave where they were trapped for a week following heavy rain and landslides. Two other villagers who were with them are missing, Lao and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation said. “We’ve found 5 people alive and all safe. There are still 2 people we are searching for,” Laotian rescue group Rescue Volunteer for People said in a social media post. “At 4:30 pm, we found our target. We found five people. We are looking for the other two,” added Thai rescuer Kengkach Bangkawong in…
MINA — The Ministry of Interior has penalized five Saudi citizens and five expatriates for violating Hajj regulations and instructions by transporting 34 individuals to Makkah without permits to perform Hajj. Hajj security forces apprehended them at the entrances to Makkah. The ministry issued administrative decisions through its seasonal administrative committees with regard to the penalties against them. These include fines of up to SR100,000 for the transporters and those involved in the violations, in addition to imprisonment and publicizing their names in the local media at their personal expense. Fines of up to SR20,000 were also imposed on those…
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) distributed 352 food baskets to vulnerable families in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, benefiting 2,112 individuals. Delivered through the Saudi fundraising campaign to aid the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, this initiative continues to provide essential nutritional support to mitigate economic hardships and enhance community resilience amid the ongoing crisis. Source: Riyadh Daily
LIMASSOL — Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with External Affairs Minister of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Limassol, Cyprus on Wednesday. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the informal Foreign Affairs Council meeting. During the meeting, the ministers discussed bilateral relations between their countries and ways to further strengthen and develop them. The meeting also addressed the latest regional and international developments and included an exchange of views on those developments. Saudi Ambassador to Cyprus Fawaz Alshubaili attended the meeting. Source: Saudi Gazette
MAKKAH—Saudi Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif held talks with interior ministers of several countries at the ministry’s headquarters in Makkah on Wednesday. They include Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control of Pakistan Mohsin Naqvi, Iraqi Minister of Interior Lt. Gen. Abdulamir Al-Shammari, Lebanese Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad Al-Hajjar, and Kuwait’s Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah. During the meeting, they discussed ways to further enhance security cooperation and coordination between Saudi Arabia and these countries. A number of topics of mutual interest were also…
JEDDAH—Saudi Arabia has provided $150 million in urgent support in the form of petroleum derivatives to cover the diesel and fuel oil needs of power plants across Yemen’s governorates. This initiative comes as an extension of Saudi Arabia’s support for the Yemeni people in line with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and the follow-up of Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman. The support, channeled through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, aims to bolster the stability of the electricity grid, improve the…
MINA—The Saudi Ministry of Health advised pilgrims to pay close attention to foot care by regularly checking their feet, choosing comfortable footwear, and washing and drying their feet thoroughly, especially between the toes. The ministry also advised pilgrims to avoid walking barefoot, noting that people with diabetes are among the groups most vulnerable to cuts and ulcers. Female pilgrims were urged to wear appropriate socks to help prevent blisters and skin irritation, thereby reducing injuries associated with walking and movement during Hajj rituals. The ministry also encouraged pilgrims to contact the 937 service number for assistance and medical consultations. The…
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) announced today that the total number of pilgrims for Hajj 2026 reached 1,707,301, with international pilgrims arriving through various entry points making up 1,546,655, while domestic pilgrims, comprising citizens and residents, reached 160,646. According to GASTAT statistical results for the 2026 Hajj season, the total headcount of domestic and international pilgrims comprised 893,396 male pilgrims and 813,905 female pilgrims. Regarding statistics on international pilgrims, GASTAT outlined that 1,485,729 arrived through air entry points, 54,429 arrived through road entry points, and 6,497 arrived through sea entry points. GASTAT relied on the Ministry of Interior’s administrative records as its…
After sunset on Tuesday, pilgrims bid farewell to Arafat as they continued their spiritual journey to Muzdalifah. The movement to Muzdalifah saw millions of pilgrims traveling along pedestrian routes in white ihram garments at the third stage of the Hajj journey. The pedestrian pathways in the holy sites, stretching 25 kilometers from Jabal Al-Rahmah in Arafat to Mina via Muzdalifah, are regarded as the world’s longest pedestrian route and witness the largest annual human movement during the Hajj season. Along the route, water misting stations are distributed to cool the atmosphere and ease the heat. Source: Riyadh Daily