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Saudi Arabia, Italy to Consolidate Security Cooperation

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met on Friday with his Italian counterpart in Rome. SPA
Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met on Friday with his Italian counterpart in Rome. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Italy to Consolidate Security Cooperation

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met on Friday with his Italian counterpart in Rome. SPA
Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met on Friday with his Italian counterpart in Rome. SPA

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz on Friday held talks with his Italian counterpart, Matteo Piantedosi, in Rome.
Prince Abdulaziz said the meeting aimed to strengthen security cooperation, following the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and to build on the strong relationship between the two countries.
He highlighted the recent strategic partnership agreement signed during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to Saudi Arabia in January 2025, describing it as the foundation for enhanced collaboration.
The ministers discussed combating transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, and increasing experience sharing. They also explored ways to further develop security cooperation across various areas.
Saudi Ambassador to Italy Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz and other officials attended the meeting.

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GASTAT: Number of Umrah Performers Rose by 31% in Q4 2024

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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GASTAT: Number of Umrah Performers Rose by 31% in Q4 2024

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), in its report on Umrah statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024, revealed on Thursday that the number of Umrah performers increased by 31% compared to the same quarter in 2023.

The report showed that males constituted about 53% of the Umrah performers, while females accounted for 47%. Saudi nationals comprised 4.5% of the total, with the Makkah Region recording the highest number of domestic Umrah performers.
The report also indicated a 26.2% increase in international Umrah performers compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Of these, 64.7% arrived with an Umrah visa. December saw the highest number of international Umrah performers at 38.2%, while November recorded the highest percentage of domestic Umrah performers completing the ritual for one time, representing 34% of the total.
Umrah statistics have been issued quarterly since 2024, detailing the numbers and percentages of domestic and international Umrah performers based on data from the Pilgrim Experience Program, along with approved statistical models.