Saudi Crown Prince Receives Call from Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council Presidenthttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5323819-saudi-crown-prince-receives-call-sudan%E2%80%99s-transitional-sovereign-council-president
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Call from Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council President
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. SPA
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received a phone call from Sudanese President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.
During the call, the Crown Prince affirmed the Kingdom's commitment to Sudan's stability and the preservation of its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
He also reiterated Saudi Arabia's support for all efforts to achieve stability in Sudan, paving the way for comprehensive development and the return of displaced persons and refugees to their homes.
Saudi Defense Minister Leads Delegation at GCC Defense Meetinghttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5339603-saudi-defense-minister-leads-delegation-gcc-defense-meeting
Saudi Defense Minister Leads Delegation at GCC Defense Meeting
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman began an official visit to Bahrain on Tuesday leading the kingdom’s delegation to the 23rd GCC Joint Defense Council meeting.
The minister was accorded an official reception upon arrival at Bahrain International Airport, where he was received by Bahraini Defense Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Hassan Al Nuaimi.
The two ministers discussed longstanding ties between their countries and ongoing defense coordination within the framework of joint GCC cooperation.
Saudi Arabia: Number of Umrah Pilgrims Arriving from Abroad Rose to 18 Millionhttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5339546-saudi-arabia-number-umrah-pilgrims-arriving-abroad-rose-18-million
Saudi Arabia: Number of Umrah Pilgrims Arriving from Abroad Rose to 18 Million
Officials are seen at the Sixth Hajj Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah on Monday. (Sixth Hajj Conference and Exhibition)
A ministerial session at the Sixth Hajj Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah on Monday underscored the scale of Saudi Arabia's preparations for the upcoming Hajj season from providing over one million beds for pilgrims to preemptively monitoring hundreds of potential risks.
The briefing comes as relevant authorities move to elevate service quality and expand capacity across airports and lodging facilities, coordinated under an operational framework involving more than 60 government entities.
During the session, "Serving the Guests of God: An Integrated National System," Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah stressed that the Pilgrim Experience Program, launched in 2019 under Saudi Vision 2030, has brought about a transformation in managing the journey of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, starting from facilitating access to the Two Holy Mosques, through the quality of services, and leading to enriching the religious and cultural experience.
Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah at the conference. (Sixth Hajj Conference and Exhibition)
Al-Rabiah revealed that the number of Umrah pilgrims arriving from abroad rose from 8.4 million in 2022 to 18 million in 2025, while the number of visitors to the al-Rawdah Sharifa increased from 6 million to some 16 million during the same period.
He said the Hajj Project Management Office coordinates some 600 operational plans annually among participating entities, noting that pilgrim satisfaction rose from 74 to 93 percent over five years, surpassing the targeted 90 percent.
On housing, Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb announced the completion of licensing for buildings designated to receive pilgrims for the upcoming season, providing more than 1.3 million beds across around 400,000 rooms distributed among 4,000 buildings in Makkah and Madinah.
He noted that the sheer volume of available accommodation in the two holy cities places them within the top 10 percent of countries globally for room capacity, underscoring the massive infrastructure dedicated to hosting Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb speaks at the conference. (Sixth Hajj Conference and Exhibition)
Al-Khateeb revealed that some 560,000 beds were provided in temporary pilgrim accommodations, and 30,000 inspection tours were conducted last season, as well as the training of more than 45,000 employees to elevate service quality.
The ministry is working to reduce the number of beds per room and encourage the conversion of temporary pilgrim lodging into permanent facilities, while providing accommodation options that suit various budgets, he added.
In the aviation sector, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation Abdulaziz Al‑Dailej announced that King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah welcomed 52 million passengers in 2025, while Terminal 4 was operated with a capacity exceeding 15 million passengers, and the Hajj Terminal was upgraded to handle up to 16 million.
The expansion of Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah will raise its capacity from 8 million to 18 million passengers, with the project expected to be completed in October 2027, he went on to say.
Al-Dailej added that the "Luggage-Free Traveler" initiative has served around 4.5 million pilgrims and handled 6.7 million bags over the past four years, supported by 130 air carriers linking the Kingdom to over 200 destinations.
President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation Abdulaziz Al‑Dailej at the conference. (Sixth Hajj Conference and Exhibition)
Director of Public Security Lieutenant General Mohammad Al-Bassami stressed that Hajj security operations have shifted from basic coordination to full integration, with authorities identifying over 900 potential risks and establishing proactive response scenarios.
In the health sector, the Health Holding Company revealed that it provided more than 2.5 million services during the last season.
Dr. Hatim Al-Omari, CEO of the Makkah Health Cluster, explained that the cluster served more than 746,000 people, conducted 128,000 field inspections, performed over 415 surgeries and 382 kidney dialysis sessions, and administered 371,000 vaccination doses.
In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Omari said 5,309 pilgrims benefited from specialized treatment pathways, including 4,574 injury cases, 416 stroke cases, and 319 cardiac arrest cases.
Saudi FM Attends G7 Meeting in Parishttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5339529-saudi-fm-attends-g7-meeting-paris
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah at the G7 meeting in Paris on Monday. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Attends G7 Meeting in Paris
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah at the G7 meeting in Paris on Monday. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attended on Monday an expanded G7 meeting for invited partners in Paris dedicated to discussing artificial intelligence.
The meeting addressed the implications of the rapid development of advanced technologies and models on the strategic environment and international security, as well as ways to boost international coordination to handle the risks associated with AI.
It examined achieving a balance between leveraging innovation opportunities and ensuring the development and use of these technologies in a safe and responsible manner to bolster the capacity to confront challenges and maintain global peace and stability.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris. (SPA)
Prince Faisal met on the sidelines with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot for talks on the latest regional developments and the ongoing attacks by the terrorist Houthi militia on Saudi Arabia.
They tackled efforts to address the crises and limit their repercussions in a way that helps secure the safety of international waterways and freedom of navigation and preserves the security and stability of the region.
Prince Faisal also held separate meetings with his British counterpart Ed Miliband and German counterpart Johann Wadephul to discuss regional developments and joint efforts to secure waterways and freedom of navigation.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with his British counterpart Ed Miliband in Paris. (SPA)
He met with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun for talks on bilateral relations and cooperation. They exchanged views on regional developments and efforts exerted towards them.
The G7 meeting tackled the most important developments and issues on the international stage, efforts aimed at resolving crises and conflicts, boosting maritime and port security, combating smuggling, supporting the effectiveness of humanitarian response, food security and nutrition, and artificial intelligence security.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Paris. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia's participation comes as an extension of its active role in the work of France's G7 presidency, and stems from the Kingdom's keenness to strengthen consultation and coordination with international partners, and to intensify joint efforts to deal with current regional and international challenges.
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