‘Riyadh Meeting’ Monitors the Handling of Iranian Activities

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al-Awsat
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
20

‘Riyadh Meeting’ Monitors the Handling of Iranian Activities

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al-Awsat
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al-Awsat

Western, Gulf and Arab officials affirmed in Riyadh on Thursday their determination to address broad security concerns in the region, including Iran’s destabilizing activities.

The coordination meeting was attended by the US Special Envoy for Iran, the political directors of the foreign ministries in France, Britain and Germany, and their counterparts in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Egypt and Jordan.

Participants exchanged views on the political and security situation in the region, including Iran’s actions. They also addressed the upcoming seventh round of talks on the return of Iran and the United States to mutual, full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).

A joint statement released after the meeting reiterated the importance of quickly reaching and implementing a negotiated solution to that end and of ensuring that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes.

The political directors and the US Special Envoy for Iran welcomed the regional partners’ efforts to deescalate tensions and promote dialogue in the region.

They affirmed their determination to continue to address broader security concerns of the region. They discussed Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region, including the use and transfer of ballistic missiles and UAVs that have led to attacks against regional partners. They reiterated their concern for and condemnation of such destabilizing activities.

They underlined that enhanced regional dialogue and a return to mutual compliance with the JCPoA would benefit the entire Middle East, allow for more regional partnerships and economic exchange, with long-lasting implications for growth and the well-being of all people there, including in Iran.



Saudi Interior Ministry Enforces Penalties for Violating Hajj Permit Rules

Pilgrims are seen at the Hajj last year. (EPA)
Pilgrims are seen at the Hajj last year. (EPA)
TT
20

Saudi Interior Ministry Enforces Penalties for Violating Hajj Permit Rules

Pilgrims are seen at the Hajj last year. (EPA)
Pilgrims are seen at the Hajj last year. (EPA)

Colonel Talal bin Shalhoub, Spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Interior, announced that penalties are now being implemented against those performing Hajj, entering, or staying in Makkah and the holy sites without a permit. He made the remarks during a session at the Digital Communication Conference.
The Spokesman stated that anyone caught performing Hajj without a permit, or entering or staying in Makkah or the holy sites on a visit visa, faces a fine of up to SAR20000, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.
He added that anyone facilitating these violations—such as applying for visas, transporting, sheltering, concealing, or otherwise assisting violators—faces a fine of up to SAR100000.
Fines are applied per individual violation. Residents or overstayers caught attempting to perform Hajj without a permit will be deported and banned from the Kingdom for 10 years, he noted.
Bin Shalhoub also warned against fraudulent Hajj schemes that falsely promise services such as accommodation, transport, surrogate Hajj services, sacrificial animals, or fake bracelets.
He also highlighted the ongoing "Makkah Route" initiative, part of the Pilgrim Experience Program under Saudi Vision 2030, operating at 11 airports in 7 countries. Launched in 1438 AH (2017 AD), the initiative has served 940,657 pilgrims.