Saudi Arabia Prepares for Ramadan, 2021 Haj Season Planning

FILE PHOTO - General view of Kaaba at the Grand Mosque which is almost empty of worshippers amid lockdown due to the fear of coronavirus outbreak, at Muslim holy city of Mekkah, Saudi Arabia March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Ganoo Essa
FILE PHOTO - General view of Kaaba at the Grand Mosque which is almost empty of worshippers amid lockdown due to the fear of coronavirus outbreak, at Muslim holy city of Mekkah, Saudi Arabia March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Ganoo Essa
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Saudi Arabia Prepares for Ramadan, 2021 Haj Season Planning

FILE PHOTO - General view of Kaaba at the Grand Mosque which is almost empty of worshippers amid lockdown due to the fear of coronavirus outbreak, at Muslim holy city of Mekkah, Saudi Arabia March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Ganoo Essa
FILE PHOTO - General view of Kaaba at the Grand Mosque which is almost empty of worshippers amid lockdown due to the fear of coronavirus outbreak, at Muslim holy city of Mekkah, Saudi Arabia March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Ganoo Essa

Saudi Arabia is meticulously preparing for the advent of Islam’s holy month of fasting, Ramadan. The kingdom is also monitoring the latest developments in plans for organizing the upcoming Haj pilgrimage season.

Over 95,000 foreign Umrah pilgrims have traveled to Saudi Arabia to date.

A virtual seminar focused on Saudi efforts for serving Haj and Umrah pilgrims during the coronavirus pandemic was attended by a number of senior officials that included Asir Governor Prince Turki bin Talal.

Ministers and officials who partook in the event hailed Saudi Arabia’s ability to secure and provide comprehensive care for visitors and pilgrims despite the challenges facing the world today.

In his opening speech at the symposium, Medina Governor Prince Faisal bin Salman confirmed that Saudi Arabia, since its inception, has shown keenness and dedication to providing visitors and pilgrims with ultimate care.

He also noted that Saudi Arabia’s proactive and preventative measures, that included suspending Umrah, have proved successful in stemming the spread of the coronavirus at a time when most countries were struggling with the pandemic.

Prince Faisal noted that restrictions are now being eased, and that pilgrims began to flock to the kingdom once again.

Implementing a comprehensive health methodology, the Kingdom continues to apply precautionary and proactive measures to preserve public health and limit infections.

Addressing the symposium on the Kingdom’s efforts in serving pilgrims and visitors, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Muhammad Saleh Benten said that his ministry is working on operational plans to welcome the month of Ramadan and studying the developments related to the next Hajj season with the concerned authorities.

Benten said that around nine million beneficiaries took advantage of the ministry’s Eatmarna application.

“The technological programs have contributed to facilitate the performance of rituals in a professional and orderly manner, as well as to follow up the reports and indices related to performing Hajj and Umrah and harnessing them to unify and develop accurate plans for the coming Ramadan,” said Benten.

“The programs will also help, in addition, to carrying out studies about the health-related developments that the ministry is working on with the participation of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and all government agencies involved in serving visitors,” he added.



Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
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Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo

Qatar's prime minister said on Sunday that efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza have made some progress but an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war remains elusive.

"We have seen on Thursday a bit of progress compared to other meetings yet we need to find an answer for the ultimate question: how to end this war. That's the key point of the entire negotiations," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister, Reuters reported.

Mossad Director David Barnea traveled to Doha on Thursday to meet Sheikh Mohammed amid efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza, Axios reported last week.

Sheikh Mohammed didn't say which elements of the ceasefire talks had progressed in recent days, but said Hamas and Israel remained at odds over the ultimate goal of negotiations.

He said the militant group is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages if Israel ends the war in Gaza. But Israel wants Hamas to release the remaining hostages without offering a clear vision on ending the war, he said.

"When you don't have a common objective, a common goal between the parties, I believe the opportunities (to end the war) become very thin," Sheikh Mohammed said at a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Fidan said talks Turkish officials have held with Hamas had shown the group would be more open to an agreement that goes beyond a ceasefire in Gaza and aims for a lasting solution to the crisis with Israel, including a two-state solution.

Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining hostages still held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to still be alive.

The Gaza war started after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack. Since then, Israel's offensive on the enclave killed more than 51,400, according to local health officials.