OIC Jeddah Meeting Stresses Jerusalem Is a ‘Red Line’

The OIC held an extraordinary meeting for its executive committee in Jeddah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The OIC held an extraordinary meeting for its executive committee in Jeddah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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OIC Jeddah Meeting Stresses Jerusalem Is a ‘Red Line’

The OIC held an extraordinary meeting for its executive committee in Jeddah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The OIC held an extraordinary meeting for its executive committee in Jeddah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) re-affirmed its rejection of Israel's attempts to change the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem City.

In an extraordinary meeting for the OIC executive committee in Jeddah, the group stressed that Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are a "red line" for the Muslim nation.

It released a final communique emphasizing that a comprehensive and fair peace will be only achieved by ending the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestine state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The conferees stated that all measures taken by Israel - as an illegitimate occupation power - to impose its laws on Jerusalem are null and void.

They called on the international community to respect international resolutions on Jerusalem, with the aim of pressing Israel to end its illegal occupation of the land of the State of Palestine occupied in 1967.

They addressed a number of international actors, expressing the organization's rejection and condemnation of Israeli attempts to impose measures on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and demanded urgent action from the international community to put an end to the Israeli violations against the holy places.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia condemned the repeated attacks and Israeli provocative violations and called on the international community to act effectively.

Secretary-General of the OIC Hissein Brahim Taha reiterated the organization’s total commitment and support for the right of the Palestinian people to sovereignty over their occupied land.

He also underlined the religious and spiritual centrality of the city and the eternal connection of Muslims across the world to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the OIC, Saleh bin Hamad Suhaibani delivered a statement, saying Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque King Salman bin Abdulaziz had declared during his presidency of the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran that “Palestine is our first cause and Palestine and its people are in the conscience of Arab and Muslims.”

“This will continue to be so until the brotherly Palestinian people get all their legitimate rights, notably the establishment of the State of Palestine. The cause of Palestine is the essential pillar of the OIC work and the focus of our attention until the brotherly people of Palestine enjoy all their rights guaranteed by international resolutions and the Arab peace initiative.”

Suhaibani stated that while Saudi Arabia strongly condemns and denounces the repeated and provocative Israeli onslaught and aggression against worshippers in at Al-Aqsa Mosque, it persistently calls on the international community to act effectively to assume its role in holding Israeli forces fully responsible for those crimes and violations and their negative repercussion on reviving the peace process.



Saudi Arabia Expands Digital Health System for Hajj Pilgrims

Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)
Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Expands Digital Health System for Hajj Pilgrims

Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)
Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry said it has stepped up efforts this year to expand digital health services as part of a broader strategy to harness advanced technology and ensure safe and efficient medical care for pilgrims during the Hajj.

The ministry said preparations included strengthening digital infrastructure and deploying smart solutions to improve timely access to healthcare, aiming to deliver a safe and healthy pilgrimage for all.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Assistant Deputy Minister for Planning at the Ministry of Health, Eng. Yazeed Alotaibi highlighted a range of advanced digital solutions the ministry has developed, including the implementation of the “Electronic Health Record” system across all medical facilities in the holy sites.

The system allows for seamless, real-time connectivity between healthcare centers, speeding up diagnosis and patient transfers while enhancing medical response readiness in coordination with the command and control center.

Alotaibi added that services on the “Sehhaty” app have been upgraded to offer around-the-clock virtual medical consultations, alongside the 937 unified call center.

He said virtual clinics have also been activated in partnership with the virtual health hospital, enabling patients to receive specialized care remotely without the need to travel, easing pressure on field facilities and improving pilgrims’ access to medical services at any time.

AI integration

On the use of emerging technologies, Alotaibi said the Health Ministry has “extensively integrated artificial intelligence tools into its digital systems.”

These tools are being used to analyze medical conversations and convert them into digital records, while also suggesting accurate diagnoses, boosting the speed and quality of clinical decision-making.

AI is also employed to interpret medical images and identify critical cases that require urgent intervention.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry has rolled out a series of cutting-edge technologies to strengthen medical services for pilgrims during this year’s Hajj, including the use of drones, artificial intelligence, and cloud infrastructure.

Alotaibi said the ministry is deploying drone technology to deliver medicines and medical supplies swiftly to high-traffic areas, calling it “a fast and efficient solution” to meet urgent healthcare demands.

Cloud infrastructure has also been activated in health data centers to boost system efficiency and accelerate data sharing among relevant authorities, he added.

Digital health passport

Among other innovations, Alotaibi said the ministry has launched a “Digital Health Passport” in collaboration with Malaysia, Oman, and Indonesia. The initiative allows early access to pilgrims’ health status, allowing personalized care and streamlining medical procedures when needed.

On Monday, Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel inaugurated two key initiatives to support medical supply delivery using helicopters and drones.

These systems are designed to cut delivery times for medicines in high-density zones across the holy sites from 90 to just 6 minutes, enhancing emergency response capabilities.

Fahad Al-Buthi, CEO of supply chain and operations at NUPCO, a Saudi healthcare logistics company, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the drone program was launched in coordination with national authorities.

He said pilot tests showed the drone system could slash delivery time from 90 minutes to just six, a move expected to significantly improve access to critical supplies during peak Hajj periods.