WHO Welcomes Saudi Decision to Limit Hajj

A customer gets his temperature checked at a cafe in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A customer gets his temperature checked at a cafe in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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WHO Welcomes Saudi Decision to Limit Hajj

A customer gets his temperature checked at a cafe in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A customer gets his temperature checked at a cafe in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to greatly limit the number of Hajj pilgrims this year over the coronavirus pandemic.

“As some countries start to reopen their societies and economies, the question about how to hold gatherings of large numbers of people safely has become increasingly important,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanum, said Wednesday. “This is especially true of one of the world’s largest mass gatherings, the annual Hajj pilgrimage.”

The Kingdom said Monday that a limited number of Saudi citizens and residents would be able to perform the pilgrimage this year.

Speaking in Geneva during the daily coronavirus press conference, Adhanum said the organization supported Saudi Arabia’s decision, adding that all countries must make difficult decisions to put public health at the forefront.

The Saudi Health Ministry said in a daily briefing on the outbreak on Wednesday that failure to adhere to social distancing measures has led to the infection of five families.

A few of the relatives were in critical care, it said.

It said 3,123 virus cases were registered on Wednesday, taking the Kingdom’s tally to 167,267.

Recoveries reached 112,797 after 2,912 more people were declared virus-free.

Forty-one fatalities were reported, taking the toll to 1,387.



Washington, Manama Sign Agreement on Peaceful Nuclear Energy Cooperation

US President Donald J. Trump (C-R) meets Bahrain's Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa (C-L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 16 July 2025.  EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL
US President Donald J. Trump (C-R) meets Bahrain's Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa (C-L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 16 July 2025. EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL
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Washington, Manama Sign Agreement on Peaceful Nuclear Energy Cooperation

US President Donald J. Trump (C-R) meets Bahrain's Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa (C-L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 16 July 2025.  EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL
US President Donald J. Trump (C-R) meets Bahrain's Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa (C-L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 16 July 2025. EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL

The US and Bahrain on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement in the field of peaceful nuclear energy shortly before a meeting in the White House between US President Donald Trump and Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

“This is an important signing,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the signing ceremony with his Bahraini counterpart, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.

He added: “It serves as the first step towards a deeper civil nuclear cooperation – an example that the United States is prepared to be a partner with any nation on Earth that wants to pursue a civil nuclear program that clearly is not geared towards weaponization or threatening the security of their neighbors.”

Rubio did not mention by name Iran, which Israel and Washington accuse of seeking nuclear weapons.

“And this is a – no one better to do it with than such a strong partner that we’ve been working with for so long. This only strengthens our relationship,” Rubio said.

Later at a meeting with Trump, Bahrain's Crown Prince announced plans to invest more than $17 billion in the United States.

“We're very happy to be announcing $17 billion worth of deals that are coming to the United States,” said Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. He then joked with journalists at the White House, saying, “And this is real. These aren't fake deals.”

Asked whether Iran should return to the negotiating table with the US over its nuclear program, the Crown Prince said: “The ball is in their court. They are the ones who stand to benefit from a negotiation.”