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WHO Praises Saudi Arabia’s Success in Protecting Global Health during Hajj Season

WHO Praises Saudi Arabia’s Success in Protecting Global Health during Hajj Season
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WHO Praises Saudi Arabia’s Success in Protecting Global Health during Hajj Season

WHO Praises Saudi Arabia’s Success in Protecting Global Health during Hajj Season

The World Health Organization (WHO) praised Saudi Arabia for successfully ensuring that the 1447 AH Hajj season was free of disease outbreaks and public health threats, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.

The organization commended the Kingdom’s effective management of one of the world’s largest mass gatherings, highlighting its strong public health preparedness and response capabilities amid ongoing global health challenges and emerging epidemic risks.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Saudi Arabia on the success of the Hajj season and expressed appreciation for healthcare workers whose efforts contributed to a safe and healthy season, reflecting international confidence in the Kingdom’s ability to manage the health requirements of major mass gatherings to the highest standards.

WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Hanan Balkhy also congratulated Saudi Arabia on the successful Hajj season and praised the advanced health preparedness provided to pilgrims. She highlighted the deployment of modern health technologies, including robots and drones, the provision of healthcare services across various locations, and the continuous monitoring of pilgrims’ health throughout their journey, enabling them to perform their rituals safely and with peace of mind.

The praise coincided with the Ministry of Health’s announcement that the 1447 AH Hajj season was free of disease outbreaks and public health threats. The season witnessed the implementation of one of the largest health preparedness operations, encompassing integrated preventive, therapeutic, and emergency services. Efforts also included continuous epidemiological surveillance, health assessments, and risk management measures carried out in coordination with various national entities and international health organizations.

Minister of Health Fahad AlJalajel stressed that Hajj health security is global health security. He noted that Hajj represents a unique human gathering that brings together millions of pilgrims from around the world before they return to their home countries, making the protection of their health and safety a responsibility whose impact extends to global public health.

He added that the success of the 1447 AH Hajj season and its freedom from disease outbreaks and public health threats were the result of an integrated health ecosystem that begins before pilgrims arrive, including vaccination and immunization requirements and the enforcement of health fitness criteria to protect pilgrims and enable them to perform their rituals safely.

The ecosystem extends to early preparedness, epidemiological surveillance, risk assessment, and rapid response, supported by the integration of government entities and international health organizations and the mobilization of human, technical, and operational resources to serve pilgrims.

The minister also expressed gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for their continued support and attention to the healthcare sector and the pilgrim service system. He noted that this achievement was made possible by their directives, which have made human health and safety a top priority and contributed to enhancing the readiness of the healthcare system and its success in protecting pilgrims’ health.

The success of the 1447 AH Hajj season, along with United Nations and international commendations, reflects Saudi Arabia’s advanced position in mass gathering medicine and its leading role in developing and implementing best health practices for major human gatherings, contributing to strengthening health security at regional and global levels.

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Gulf

UK Boosts Its Defensive Military Support to Saudi Arabia

09 June 2026, Brandenburg, Schoenefeld: A Eurofighter Typhoon flies over the grounds of Berlin ExpoCenter Airport the day before the International Aerospace Exhibition begins. (dpa)
09 June 2026, Brandenburg, Schoenefeld: A Eurofighter Typhoon flies over the grounds of Berlin ExpoCenter Airport the day before the International Aerospace Exhibition begins. (dpa)
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UK Boosts Its Defensive Military Support to Saudi Arabia

09 June 2026, Brandenburg, Schoenefeld: A Eurofighter Typhoon flies over the grounds of Berlin ExpoCenter Airport the day before the International Aerospace Exhibition begins. (dpa)
09 June 2026, Brandenburg, Schoenefeld: A Eurofighter Typhoon flies over the grounds of Berlin ExpoCenter Airport the day before the International Aerospace Exhibition begins. (dpa)

Britain announced Tuesday that it is expanding military support for Saudi Arabia against the Houthis to include “defensive” air patrols by Royal Air Force jets.

Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said Royal Air Force Typhoon jets will “conduct defensive counter-air operations over Saudi Arabia, helping to protect Saudi cities, civilian populations and critical national infrastructure” from missiles and drones fired by the Iran-backed militants in Yemen.

That means the British planes would try to shoot down missiles or drones in the air, but Streeting said the British planes won’t strike Houthi targets on the ground.

The UK will also send a military transport plane and an unspecified number of military advisers to Saudi Arabia, Streeting said.

The announcement follows Britain’s decision last month to offer in-air refueling of Saudi planes operating against the Houthis. That mission is being extended by another 90 days, Streeting said.

The conflict between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has reignited, with the Houthis aiming missile and drone strikes at Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh airport.

Streeting called the attacks “despicable” and said targeting the airport showed “the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region.”

Streeting said in a written statement to Parliament that “the government remains clear that there is no long-term military solution to the conflict in Yemen.”

“We continue to support a UN-led political process as the best route to a durable peace,” he said.

Egypt has also announced military assistance, saying it will provide “all possible forms of support” to help Saudi Arabia “defend its security and stability.”

President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Saturday that his government would take “any measure” to defend Saudi Arabia and called for parliament to convene to authorize the deployment of troops and military equipment.

Parliament held two days of deliberations and is scheduled to reconvene for a vote next week.

Gulf

GCC Secretary-General: GCC-UK Relations Built on Cooperation, and Shared Interests

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
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GCC Secretary-General: GCC-UK Relations Built on Cooperation, and Shared Interests

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi stated that relations between the GCC states and the United Kingdom (UK) are founded on a long history of cooperation, trust, and shared interests, which has contributed to exploring and establishing a distinguished economic and trade partnership between the two sides.

His remarks came during his opening speech at the GCC-UK Strategic Dialogue, on Tuesday in the British capital, London, in the presence of several ministers from both sides, alongside numerous officials, business leaders, and investors, SPA reported.

During his speech, the secretary-general stated that the foundations of the economic partnership between the two sides bring together the ambitious development visions of the GCC states and the UK’s extensive expertise across a wide range of vital sectors. He noted the importance of strengthening cooperation amid global economic transformations, geopolitical developments, and the challenges confronting trade, investment, and supply chains.

In the same context, he added that the member states continue to advance towards achieving important goals in economic integration, diversifying productive bases, improving business environments, and empowering the private sector, pointing out that the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of the GCC states reached approximately $2.4 trillion, placing them collectively among the world’s 10 largest economies; and the total foreign trade of the GCC states exceeded $1.8 trillion, ranking them collectively fifth globally.

Furthermore, he highlighted efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and the digital economy. This transformation, he explained, supports economic growth and enhanced global competitiveness for the GCC states.

Moreover, he indicated that the total trade volume between the GCC states and the UK reached approximately $70 billion in 2025, making the GCC states collectively the UK’s 10th-largest trading partner; and the total value of investment assets and liabilities between the UK and the GCC reached approximately $643 billion in 2024, reflecting the depth of economic and investment ties between both sides.

Building on this, he stated that the conclusion of negotiations on the GCC-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) represents a strategic step towards expanding trade, encouraging investment, and creating new opportunities for the private sector.

He noted that the conclusion of the FTA negotiations is the fruit of sustained joint efforts and intensive negotiations. He expressed his sincere appreciation to the negotiating teams from both sides, and to all the institutions that contributed to this achievement.

According to SPA, he highlighted that this agreement provides for the elimination of customs duties on more than 99% of GCC exports to the UK, which will open broader horizons for increasing non-oil exports, particularly in the aluminum, fertilizer, and manufacturing sectors. He added that the agreement also provides opportunities for logistics and re-exports, while enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to expand their operations and increase their access to the British market.

He further underlined the importance of the FTA, noting that its benefits extend beyond trade to lay a more robust foundation for long-term economic and investment partnerships. These partnerships cover, in particular, advanced manufacturing, the digital economy and artificial intelligence, clean energy, financial services, education, food security, and logistics. He stressed that these sectors support joint investment, technology and knowledge transfer, and building stronger productive capacities.

Gulf

Erdogan Submits Makkah Joint Defense Agreement to Parliament for Ratification

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following the signing of the Makkah Agreement (Turkish Presidency)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following the signing of the Makkah Agreement (Turkish Presidency)
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Erdogan Submits Makkah Joint Defense Agreement to Parliament for Ratification

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following the signing of the Makkah Agreement (Turkish Presidency)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following the signing of the Makkah Agreement (Turkish Presidency)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday submitted the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan on August 7, to parliament for ratification.

Burhanettin Duran, head of Türkiye's Presidential Directorate of Communications, said the submission of the bill to ratify the agreement marked an important step toward institutionalizing strategic cooperation among the three brotherly countries.

"This strategic partnership between our countries aims to strengthen collective deterrence, enhance joint defense capabilities, and protect security and stability in our region," Duran said.

In a statement posted on his X account, Duran explained that the Makkah Agreement, based on the principle that countries in the region should assume responsibility for regional affairs, reflects a shared commitment to prioritizing security and solidarity.

"We hope that the parliamentary ratification process will benefit our country and our brotherly nations, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks in advance to all political parties and members of parliament who will contribute to this process," he added.

Parliamentary sources said Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, who is currently on an official visit to Kyrgyzstan, would refer the bill to the Foreign Affairs Committee upon his return.

The committee, chaired by former Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, will discuss the legislation before it is submitted to a plenary session for ratification.

The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement contains several key provisions, including one stipulating that an attack on any signatory country is considered an attack on all three, similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Other provisions cover joint weapons production, technology transfers between defense industry companies, military training, joint exercises, specialized military personnel development, intelligence sharing and counterterrorism cooperation.

On the eve of the bill's submission to parliament, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed regional security issues.

According to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources, the two ministers focused during a telephone call on Monday on Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a related development, President Erdogan strongly condemned the Houthi attacks, noting that the strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had killed several people, including Umrah pilgrims, and left hundreds wounded.

Speaking at a meeting with village heads at the presidential complex late Monday, Erdogan said the Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, which he described as a friend and brotherly nation, had significantly heightened tensions in the region.