First Flights of Pilgrims Hosted under Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Guests Program Arrive in Madinah

Worshippers perform Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
Worshippers perform Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
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First Flights of Pilgrims Hosted under Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Guests Program Arrive in Madinah

Worshippers perform Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
Worshippers perform Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)

The first flights of pilgrims hosted under the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Guests Program arrived in Madinah after having performed Hajj in Makkah.

Other people who performed the pilgrimage under this program are expected to arrive in Madinah by bus this week.

Under the program, 4,951 people from 92 countries have performed Hajj this year. They include 1,000 members of the families of Palestinian martyrs and injured, 1,000 members of the families of Saudi martyred and injured in Operation Decisive Storm, 1,000 members of families of Yemeni martyrs and injured, 280 Syrians, 150 Yemenis, and 91 other pilgrims.

The 28-year program is organized yearly under the supervision of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance.

Since its launch, it has hosted over 62,000 pilgrims from 140 countries. The program services include receiving pilgrims at points of entry into the Kingdom, providing housing at and transportation between the holy sites, and organizing pilgrims' visits to Madinah before they depart for their countries.



Qatari Prime Minister Secured Iran's Agreement to US Ceasefire Proposal after Call with Trump, Official Says

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani speaks at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on May 20, 2025. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP)
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani speaks at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on May 20, 2025. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP)
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Qatari Prime Minister Secured Iran's Agreement to US Ceasefire Proposal after Call with Trump, Official Says

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani speaks at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on May 20, 2025. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP)
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani speaks at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on May 20, 2025. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP)

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran's agreement to the US proposal for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Iran during a call with Iranian officials held after Iran's strikes on a US air base in Qatar on Monday, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters early on Tuesday.

The phone call came after US president Donald Trump told Qatar's emir that Israel had agreed to the ceasefire and asked for Doha's help persuading Tehran to also agree to the ceasefire deal, the official said.