Saudi Hajj Ministry: Available Vacancies, Registration to Continue Till Their Booked

Muslim pilgrims wearing face masks and keeping social distance perform Tawaf around Kaaba during the annual Hajj pilgrimage amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia July 31, 2020. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
Muslim pilgrims wearing face masks and keeping social distance perform Tawaf around Kaaba during the annual Hajj pilgrimage amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia July 31, 2020. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
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Saudi Hajj Ministry: Available Vacancies, Registration to Continue Till Their Booked

Muslim pilgrims wearing face masks and keeping social distance perform Tawaf around Kaaba during the annual Hajj pilgrimage amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia July 31, 2020. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
Muslim pilgrims wearing face masks and keeping social distance perform Tawaf around Kaaba during the annual Hajj pilgrimage amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia July 31, 2020. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS

Vacant seats are available for an estimated 150,000 pilgrims residing within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, revealed Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Spokesman Hisham Saeed.

He added that the ministry allowed registration for the vacancies through concerned companies.

However, Saeed noted that the process of verifying the controls is ultimately done via e-track.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Saeed warned that the availability of Hajj vacancies is much lower than what is being advertised in the media.

He also explained that the vacancies are a product of personal complications that may be facing prospective pilgrims who were registered earlier.

Saeed reminded that the ministry did not dispense with any of the previously announced conditions and regulations for accepting the requests of registered pilgrims residing within Saudi Arabia.

He affirmed that registrations would keep getting vetted via e-track until all vacancies are filled.

In other news, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday that it will secure alternative flights and provide additional seats for pilgrims coming from Britain, the US, and Europe.

In cooperation with relevant authorities, visas will also be “issued immediately to the pilgrims entering the Kingdom as part of the efforts”.

This comes after people faced technical issues while applying for hajj via a new electronic portal called Motawif and had several issues including no access to the limited seats on flights.



Saudi Air Defenses Thwart Attempt to Target Shaybah Oilfield

Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Air Defenses Thwart Attempt to Target Shaybah Oilfield

Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Two people were killed and two others were injured after Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone that was attempting to hit a facility at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield, the Energy Ministry said.

The two people killed were Nepali and Filipino nationals, while the injured were Pakistani and Indian nationals, it said.

The falling debris also sparked a fire in a contractor’s vehicle at the Shaybah oilfield, the ministry added in a statement.


1 Killed, 8 Injured in Dammam Airport Attack

King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. SPA
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. SPA
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1 Killed, 8 Injured in Dammam Airport Attack

King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. SPA
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. SPA

One resident was killed in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced early Thursday.

The authority also said eight people were injured in the late Wednesday attack and the airport suffered some material damages.

“All injured individuals were immediately transported to hospital to receive the necessary medical care,” GACA added.


Saudi, Jordanian FMs Discuss Houthi Attacks, Sign Protocol on Higher Coordination Council

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi sign an amended protocol to the minutes establishing the Saudi-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi sign an amended protocol to the minutes establishing the Saudi-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council. (SPA)
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Saudi, Jordanian FMs Discuss Houthi Attacks, Sign Protocol on Higher Coordination Council

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi sign an amended protocol to the minutes establishing the Saudi-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi sign an amended protocol to the minutes establishing the Saudi-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received in Riyadh on Wednesday Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi for talks on bilateral relations and ways to support and develop them in a manner that serves their mutual interests.

They discussed the latest developments in the region, foremost among them the continued attacks by the terrorist Houthi militia on Saudi territory.

Safadi stressed Jordan's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting these attacks and its full support for all measures the Kingdom takes to protect its security, stability, sovereignty, and the safety of its citizens and residents.

The FMs reviewed efforts to de-escalate tensions, prevent conflicts from spreading, and restore security and stability. These efforts aim to uphold respect for international law, the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in the affairs of states, and ensure the safety and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, contributing to the stability of global markets and the smooth flow of trade.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah greets Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi. (SPA)

The FMs also signed an amended protocol to the minutes establishing the Saudi-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council, to be chaired by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

The council aims to strengthen cooperation and coordination across various fields to serve both countries' interests and their brotherly peoples.

The two countries' foreign ministers will head the council's general secretariat, while their respective foreign ministries will oversee its work, including preparations for its meetings and those of the ministerial committees operating under it.