Hajj and Umrah Services Conference Kicks off on Monday under Patronage of King Salman

Pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Monday, June 26, 2023. (AP)
Pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Monday, June 26, 2023. (AP)
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Hajj and Umrah Services Conference Kicks off on Monday under Patronage of King Salman

Pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Monday, June 26, 2023. (AP)
Pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Monday, June 26, 2023. (AP)

Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region, Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, will inaugurate in Jeddah on Monday the Hajj and Umrah Services Conference and Exhibition 2024.

The event is being organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in partnership with the Pilgrim Experience Program - a program under the Saudi Vision 2030.

It will run through January 11.

The conference will unite individuals and businesses from the Hajj and Umrah sector in Saudi Arabia and over 80 countries worldwide. It aims to present innovative solutions, products, services, and projects that mirror the sector's development in Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, said the conference will provide ample opportunities for the business sector to enhance pilgrims' experiences.

He stressed the Saudi government's commitment to improving visitor and pilgrim services globally by introducing innovative technologies and services aimed at facilitating rituals and elevating service quality.

Dr. Al-Rabiah will engage in a ministerial dialogue session alongside senior officials to spotlight the Kingdom's endeavors in enhancing services for participants in the Pilgrim Experience Program.

The concurrent exhibition will showcase over 200 exhibitors from government, private, non-profit, entrepreneurial, and innovative sectors. This year's exhibition is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors.



Trump Says May Visit Saudi Arabia Next Month

US President Donald Trump takes part in a signing of an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 31 March 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald Trump takes part in a signing of an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 31 March 2025. (EPA)
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Trump Says May Visit Saudi Arabia Next Month

US President Donald Trump takes part in a signing of an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 31 March 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald Trump takes part in a signing of an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 31 March 2025. (EPA)

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he plans to visit Saudi Arabia as early as May in what will be the first foreign trip of his second term, with stops also planned in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

"It could be next month, maybe a little later," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Four sources briefed on the matter said mid-May was being looked at as the timing for the trip. Trump made Saudi Arabia and Israel the initial stops on his inaugural foreign trip during his first term in 2017.

Topics likely to be discussed include Russia's three-year-old war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza, one source said.

Saudi Arabia has played a prominent role in US foreign policy, including hosting US ceasefire talks with Russia and Ukraine.

"An opportunity for international travel for the president is something that is being looked at. We don’t yet have a specific plan, and we will provide that information when it is official," a White House official said ahead of Trump's remarks.