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Saudi Arabia Declares Hajj 2023 a Success

Muslim pilgrims gather around the Kaaba, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah on June 30, 2023 during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)
Muslim pilgrims gather around the Kaaba, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah on June 30, 2023 during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)
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Saudi Arabia Declares Hajj 2023 a Success

Muslim pilgrims gather around the Kaaba, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah on June 30, 2023 during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)
Muslim pilgrims gather around the Kaaba, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah on June 30, 2023 during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)

Saud Arabia announced on Friday the success of its plans in organizing the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.

It said no diseases or health risks were reported at the pilgrimage, which witnessed the return of pilgrims to pre-pandemic numbers.

Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud met with senior ministry, military and security officials in the holy city of Makkah.

He stressed that the cohesion between the military and security sectors had greatly helped in ensuring the success of the security and organizational plans in place for the Hajj.

He underscored the importance of advanced technologies in assisting the security forces in performing their duties, highlighting the use of AI in enriching the experience.

Minister of Health Fahad bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel declared the success of the health plans for the Hajj.

In a statement, he underlined the great support accorded to the Hajj and health sector by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

He praised the role played by the Supreme Hajj Committee, chaired by Prince Abdulaziz, in overcoming all health challenges. He expressed his gratitude to the Interior Ministry for its effective role in applying health plans.

Moreover, he hailed the close follow up of Prince Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of the Makkah region.

Al-Jalajel said over 36,000 health sector employees, backed by 7,600 volunteers, were deployed at the holy sites during the Hajj.

Over 400,000 pilgrims received health services during the pilgrimage, he went on to say. Over 50 open-heart surgeries were performed, over 1,600 dialysis sessions were held and over 4,000 pilgrims received virtual services from the virtual hospital.

Moreover, over 8,000 cases of heat stroke were treated. He noted that the awareness campaigns that were held throughout the Hajj helped in limiting the number of heat stroke cases.

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Saudi Arabia Stresses People’s Rights in the Region to Have Peace

The Saudi flag (SPA)
The Saudi flag (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Stresses People’s Rights in the Region to Have Peace

The Saudi flag (SPA)
The Saudi flag (SPA)

Saudi Arabia has stressed that the peoples of the region deserve a future built on peace, development, and cooperation.

Saudi Arabia participated in the Oslo Forum 2026, held under the patronage of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was represented by Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Manal bint Hassan Radwan, who took part in the main session titled “Mediation in a Turbulent Middle East.”

In her remarks, Radwan highlighted Saudi Arabia’s longstanding role in mediation and sustainable peacebuilding, stressing that the Kingdom’s approach is founded on respect for rights, human dignity, and security for all.

She noted that decades of regional power politics have imposed significant humanitarian, political, and economic costs, emphasizing that lasting stability cannot be achieved through dominance or imposed realities, but through a collective security framework based on cooperation, state sovereignty, strong national institutions, and adherence to international law.

She reaffirmed that creating an independent Palestinian state and the fulfillment of the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights remain essential to achieving lasting regional peace and integration.

In this context, she highlighted Saudi-led efforts through the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution and the New York Declaration as practical frameworks for advancing peace.

Radwan also reiterated the Kingdom’s support for efforts to end the war in Gaza and implement relevant international initiatives, stressing that security and stability cannot come at the expense of sovereignty or the legitimate rights of peoples.

She underscored Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a regional security vision rooted in inclusivity, cooperation, and respect for international norms, while recognizing the contributions of China, Oman, and Iraq in supporting rapprochement with Iran and promoting regional de-escalation.

She noted that some regional actors have demonstrated a growing willingness to adapt to cooperative regional security approaches and engage in frameworks of dialogue and joint action, while Israel continues to pursue a security doctrine based on military superiority and the use of force.

She added that the continued occupation, along with annexation and settlement policies, undermines efforts to build a sustainable regional security architecture and hinders the achievement of genuine regional integration founded on equality, respect for rights, sovereignty, and international law.

Radwan emphasized that the humanitarian toll of wars, occupation, and external interference is no longer acceptable, and that the peoples of the region deserve a future built on peace, development, and cooperation.

She affirmed that Saudi Arabia will continue to work tirelessly, through its strategic partnerships and regional and international role, to advance sustainable peace and security.

Gulf

Saudi-Lebanese Security Cooperation Foils Smuggling of Nearly 4 Million Amphetamine Pills

Security cooperation between the Kingdom and Lebanon contributed to tracking and seizing the narcotic substances (Saudi Ministry of Interior).
Security cooperation between the Kingdom and Lebanon contributed to tracking and seizing the narcotic substances (Saudi Ministry of Interior).
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Saudi-Lebanese Security Cooperation Foils Smuggling of Nearly 4 Million Amphetamine Pills

Security cooperation between the Kingdom and Lebanon contributed to tracking and seizing the narcotic substances (Saudi Ministry of Interior).
Security cooperation between the Kingdom and Lebanon contributed to tracking and seizing the narcotic substances (Saudi Ministry of Interior).

Information provided by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior helped Lebanese authorities foil an attempt to smuggle nearly 3.9 million amphetamine pills, the ministry said on Friday.

The seizure was made following intelligence shared by the Saudi ministry’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control as part of efforts to monitor criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, the ministry's security spokesperson Brigadier General Talal bin Shalhoub said in a statement.

Bin Shalhoub said cooperation between Saudi and Lebanese authorities in tracking and intercepting narcotics reflected the level of security coordination between the two countries in combating cross-border criminal networks.

Saudi Arabia will continue to pursue drug-trafficking activities that threaten the kingdom’s security and youth, disrupt smuggling operations and arrest those involved, he added.

Gulf

Riyadh to Host UNITAR’s First Cybersecurity Office

The office will help address global cybersecurity capacity gaps. (National Cybersecurity Authority) 
The office will help address global cybersecurity capacity gaps. (National Cybersecurity Authority) 
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Riyadh to Host UNITAR’s First Cybersecurity Office

The office will help address global cybersecurity capacity gaps. (National Cybersecurity Authority) 
The office will help address global cybersecurity capacity gaps. (National Cybersecurity Authority) 

The United Nations has selected Riyadh as the headquarters of the first cybersecurity-focused office of its training and research arm, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

The move reflects Saudi Arabia’s global leadership in the sector and the success of its cybersecurity model at the national, regional and international levels.

The office will spearhead initiatives and projects focused on capacity building, policy development, and joint research and development programs, helping to strengthen the skills of a broad range of beneficiaries and specialists while advancing cybersecurity globally.

Its objectives align with the Global Initiative for Building Cyber Capacities, launched by Saudi Arabia in partnership with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, particularly through research and development programs, training courses and workshops aimed at enhancing the capabilities of policymakers, law enforcement officials, diplomats and cybersecurity professionals worldwide.

Musaed Al Aiban, Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers, and Chairman of the NCA Board of Directors, praised the support the sector receives from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

He said the selection reflects the leadership’s continued commitment to promoting international cooperation and joint action in cybersecurity.

Al Aiban added that the decision underscores Saudi Arabia’s leading position in the strategic sector and the achievements of its cybersecurity model since the establishment of the NCA as the country’s competent authority and national reference body for cybersecurity. He also highlighted the creation of the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE) as the authority’s strategic and technical partner in developing the sector.

Saudi Arabia has established a strong track record in supporting strategic cybersecurity initiatives, further cementing its standing as a preferred destination for international organizations and institutions, Al Aiban underlined. He added that the Kingdom has long championed international initiatives aimed at enhancing the stability of cyberspace, contributing to societal prosperity, economic growth and human well-being worldwide.

For his part, Majed Al Mazyed, Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority, said the UN’s decision further reflects Saudi Arabia’s internationally recognized leadership in cybersecurity, as evidenced by a range of global benchmarks.

He noted that Saudi Arabia retained its position as the world’s top-ranked country in cybersecurity for a second consecutive year in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025. He also pointed to the Kingdom’s designation by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency for information and communication technologies, as a “Role Model” in the highest tier of the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024.

Michelle McDonough, Executive Director of UNITAR, said the launch of the institute’s first cybersecurity office and the choice of Riyadh as its headquarters underscore Saudi Arabia’s leadership and its pivotal role in advancing international cybersecurity efforts.

She added that the office will work with partners to address cybersecurity capacity gaps globally and help transform shared risks into shared resilience by connecting institutions and organizations across regions.

Saudi Arabia already hosts several regional and international cybersecurity bodies, including the Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council, the Global Cybersecurity Forum Foundation, and the Cyber Economics Center, established through a partnership between the foundation and the World Economic Forum.