King Salman Orders Hosting of 2,322 Pilgrims from over 88 Countries

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
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King Salman Orders Hosting of 2,322 Pilgrims from over 88 Countries

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

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered on Tuesday the hosting of 1,300 pilgrims from over 88 countries to perform this year’s Hajj.

Also included in the order are 1,000 pilgrims from families of martyrs, prisoners and wounded Palestinians, and 22 pilgrims from families of conjoined twins who were separated in the Kingdom.

The gesture is part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guests Program for Hajj, Umrah and Visit that is supervised and implemented annually by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance.

Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, and General Supervisor of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Hajj Guests Program Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh voiced his gratitude to King Salman and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for this noble Royal gesture.

The move reflects their constant care for Muslims around the world, and their efforts to strengthen unity and brotherhood among Muslims by bringing them together for Hajj at the expense of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, he added.

Al Al-Sheikh noted that since the issuance of the Royal order, the ministry has been preparing to host the pilgrims and developed a strategic plan, together with several committees dedicated to caring for the guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

The plan starts upon the pilgrims' departure from their home countries and ensures that they receive all facilitations to perform the Umrah and Hajj with ease and visit Madinah and perform prayer at the Prophet's Mosque.

Since its inception 26 years ago, more than 60,000 pilgrims have been hosted through the program.



Saudi Arabia Pursues Efforts to Quell Sudan Crisis

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji at the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan (SPA)
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji at the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Pursues Efforts to Quell Sudan Crisis

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji at the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan (SPA)
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji at the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan (SPA)

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji reaffirmed the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to resolve the Sudanese crisis. He expressed Saudi Arabia’s openness to international initiatives aimed at bringing peace to Sudan.
At the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan, held in Djibouti, Al-Khuraiji discussed the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to resolve the Sudanese crisis.
He mentioned that Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the United States, facilitated talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, leading to the Jeddah Declaration on May 11, 2023, which aimed to protect civilians.
Al-Khuraiji also noted the continuation of talks with the involvement of the African Union and IGAD, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s support for African-led solutions.
He reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to restoring stability in Sudan and urged all parties to act with wisdom, show restraint, and support positive initiatives.
Al-Khuraiji also met with EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, on the sidelines of the consultative meeting.
In separate meetings, he also met with the UN Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, and US Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello.
During these meetings, they reviewed the latest developments in Sudan, explored ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, and discussed topics of mutual interest.
The Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum) expressed support for international and regional meetings, hoping they would bring positive results to ease the suffering of the Sudanese people.
They urged the need that discussions focus on ensuring humanitarian aid reaches those in need, protecting civilians, and achieving an immediate ceasefire.
Taqaddum highlighted the importance of international legal frameworks for civilian protection and safe passageways during the conflict.
They called on international and regional partners to quickly bring both sides back to negotiations, build on the Jeddah agreements, and secure a binding ceasefire with effective monitoring.
Taqaddum also stressed the need for a unified negotiation platform to achieve peace.