King Salman Says Serving Hajj Pilgrims is a Pride Upheld by Saudi Arabia for all Time

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Receives Officials, SPA
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Receives Officials, SPA
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King Salman Says Serving Hajj Pilgrims is a Pride Upheld by Saudi Arabia for all Time

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Receives Officials, SPA
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Receives Officials, SPA

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz reaffirmed on Friday that serving Hajj pilgrims is a national tradition the Kingdom will uphold years on end.

“I hope God will accept the pilgrim’s pilgrimage. May every year find you in good health,” he added.

Speaking from Mina, King Salman said that Saudi Arabia will save no effort in bolstering its security, defending its stability, and preserving its interests. He also said that the Kingdom takes pride in having Islam’s two holy mosques resting on Saudi land, and that the title ‘Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ is held by Kingdom rulers since founder monarch King Abdulaziz.

King Salman had Thursday evening to oversee services that have been put in place for pilgrims during Hajj.

Around two million pilgrims gathered in Mina to follow in the footsteps of noble Prophet Mohamed to perform one of the key pillars of the Hajj.

The pilgrims stood at Mount Arafat until sunset on the ninth day of the Hijri month Dhu’l-Hijjah.

Mount Arafat is the place where the prophet Muhammad gave one of his last famous sermons on Islam and Allah.

After the Day of Arafat comes the beginning of Eid al-Adha.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz, also the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, received at Mina Palace’s Royal Court on Friday princes, the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, scholars, sheikhs, senior officials of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for Arab States, ministers and commanders of military sectors participating in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.

Kingdom Scouts Leaders participating in Hajj attended the hosting and had went to greet and congratulate the King on Eid al-Adha.

“I congratulate you and the pilgrims of the Grand Holy Mosque on the blessed Eid al-Adha, praying to Allah to accept the good deeds and return the Eid to the Islamic nation with goodness and blessings,” said King Salman at the reception.



MWL Condemns Attack on UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)
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MWL Condemns Attack on UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)

The Muslim World League (MWL) condemned the attack targeting the French battalion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

In a statement, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa reiterated the organization’s condemnation of attacks on UN agencies and their missions, as part of its broader rejection of all acts of violence and terrorism.

Al-Issa noted that the attack breaches international obligations concerning the safety and security of UN personnel.

He offered condolences to the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

A UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon came under attack with small arms fire Saturday morning, leaving one French peacekeeper dead and three others wounded, two of them seriously, France's president and the force known as UNIFIL said.

Both President Emmanuel Macron and the UNIFIL force blamed Hezbollah, but the group denied involvement.

The attack near the southern Lebanese village of Ghandouriyeh came after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday between Israel and Hezbollah.


MWL Condemns Attack on UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)
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MWL Condemns Attack on UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)

The Muslim World League (MWL) condemned the attack targeting the French battalion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

In a statement, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa reiterated the organization’s condemnation of attacks on UN agencies and their missions, as part of its broader rejection of all acts of violence and terrorism.

Al-Issa noted that the attack breaches international obligations concerning the safety and security of UN personnel.

He offered condolences to the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

A UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon came under attack with small arms fire Saturday morning, leaving one French peacekeeper dead and three others wounded, two of them seriously, France's president and the force known as UNIFIL said.

Both President Emmanuel Macron and the UNIFIL force blamed Hezbollah, but the group denied involvement.

The attack near the southern Lebanese village of Ghandouriyeh came after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday between Israel and Hezbollah.


First Flights of Makkah Route Initiative Beneficiaries Arrive in Madinah

Pilgrims from Türkiye are welcomed upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
Pilgrims from Türkiye are welcomed upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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First Flights of Makkah Route Initiative Beneficiaries Arrive in Madinah

Pilgrims from Türkiye are welcomed upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
Pilgrims from Türkiye are welcomed upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The first flights carrying beneficiaries of the Makkah Route Initiative arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The pilgrims arrived from Türkiye, Pakistan and Bangladesh and entered through the initiative's terminal at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.

The Makkah Route Initiative aims to deliver high-quality services to pilgrims from beneficiary countries by receiving them and completing their procedures with ease in their homelands. This begins with biometric data collection and the electronic issuance of Hajj visas, followed by passport procedures at the departure airport after verifying health requirements, and the coding and sorting of luggage in line with transport and accommodation arrangements in the Kingdom.

Pilgrims then proceed directly to buses designated to take them to their residences in Makkah and Madinah via dedicated routes, while partner entities ensure their luggage is delivered to them.

The Ministry of Interior is implementing the initiative in its eighth year in cooperation with the ministries of foreign affairs, health, Hajj and Umrah, and media, along with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA), the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), the General Authority for Awqaf, the Pilgrim Experience Program, and the General Directorate of Passports, in integration with the digital partner stc Group.

The initiative has served 1,254,994 pilgrims since its launch in 2017.