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Saudi Defense Minister, US Defense Secretary Discuss Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
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Saudi Defense Minister, US Defense Secretary Discuss Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz held a phone call with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to discuss Saudi-US relations.

They tackled strategic cooperation in defense, and ways to develop it to serve the common interests of both nations.

The officials addressed efforts to consolidate international security and peace.

Prince Khalid congratulated Hegseth on his appointment as secretary of defense.

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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.