Saudi Govt Reiterates Condemnation of Israel over Gaza Violations

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the virtual cabinet meeting. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the virtual cabinet meeting. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt Reiterates Condemnation of Israel over Gaza Violations

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the virtual cabinet meeting. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the virtual cabinet meeting. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday its strong condemnation of Israeli forces for their violations against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

It slammed Israeli forces for their “ongoing blatant violations of all international resolutions and laws,” calling on the international community “to intervene to alleviate the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe facing the brotherly Palestinian people.”

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the virtual cabinet meeting.

He thanked the people of Saudi Arabia for their heartfelt well wishes and prayers. He also expressed gratitude to the leaders of brotherly and friendly nations who sent messages wishing him good health.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the ministers expressed gratitude to God Almighty for King Salman’s recovery, wishing him continued health so that he can continue to lead the Kingdom toward further growth and prosperity.

The cabinet reviewed the message received by King Salman by the President of Senegal and the telephone calls between Crown Prince Mohammed and French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that focused on strengthening relations and exploring the potential for further collaboration in various sectors.

Cabinet Member for Shura Council Affairs and Acting Minister of Media Dr. Issam bin Saad bin Saeed said the government reviewed the latest developments regarding cooperation between the Kingdom and multilateral organizations.

He said Saudi Arabia's unanimous election to the International Transport Forum and winning the bid to host the UNCTAD Global Supply Chain Forum in 2026 are testaments to the Kingdom's global leadership and recognition of its ambitious initiatives and projects to develop these vital sectors.

The cabinet praised the success of the Future Aviation Forum, which was held in Riyadh and saw wide international participation, and the signing of over 100 agreements and memoranda of understanding. The event also witnessed the announcement of investments that will contribute to making significant strides in the aviation sector and further boosting the Kingdom's position in the global and regional air transport industry.

Moreover, Saeed said the Cabinet hailed the Kingdom for setting new global records in reducing the cost of electricity production from wind energy, and supporting its efforts to diversify energy sources, boost its global position in exporting renewable and sustainable energy, increase the use of clean energy, reduce carbon emissions, and preserve the environment, in line with various local and international initiatives.



GASTAT: Number of Umrah Performers Increases by 35% in Q3 2024

Muslims pray as they perform Umrah at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia - File Photo/SPA Handout via REUTERS
Muslims pray as they perform Umrah at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia - File Photo/SPA Handout via REUTERS
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GASTAT: Number of Umrah Performers Increases by 35% in Q3 2024

Muslims pray as they perform Umrah at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia - File Photo/SPA Handout via REUTERS
Muslims pray as they perform Umrah at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia - File Photo/SPA Handout via REUTERS

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) announced on Sunday the results of the Umrah Statistics Report for the third quarter (Q3) of 2024.

The report revealed that the total number of Umrah performers reached 6,254,751 in Q3 2024, representing a 35% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Male performers accounted for 57.4%, while females constituted 42.6% of the total. Saudi nationals made up 10.7% of all Umrah performers during the quarter.
The report indicated that the total number of external Umrah performers stood at 3,348,512, reflecting a 29.2% increase compared to Q3 2023. Among them, males accounted for 51% (1,707,514), and females made up 49.0% (1,638,743).
For internal Umrah performers, the total reached 2,906,239 in Q3 2024, marking a 42.4% increase compared to Q3 2023. Of this group, Saudi nationals totaled 671,729 (23.1%), while non-Saudis accounted for 2,234,510 (76.9%). Male internal Umrah performers totaled 1,883,199 (64.8%), while females accounted for 1,023,040 (35.2%), SPA reported.
The report highlighted that among external Umrah performers, the highest proportion (17.6%) were aged 35–44, while the lowest proportion (9.2%) were over 65 years old. Similarly, the largest group among internal performers was aged 30–39 (29.2%).
A total of 2,295,747 internal Umrah performers completed the Umrah rituals once during the quarter, with males representing 64% and females 36%. August recorded the highest number of single-time Umrah performers from within the Kingdom, accounting for 40.1% of the total.
The report also provided details on visa types for external performers in Q3 2024. Among them, 60.8% arrived with Umrah visas, 29.7% with other types of visas, 6.6% with electronic visit visas, and 2.9% with Gulf visas.