Sultan of Oman Concludes Bahrain Visit, Stresses Development of Bilateral Ties

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa bids farewell to Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq at the conclusion of his visit to Bahrain. (BNA)
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa bids farewell to Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq at the conclusion of his visit to Bahrain. (BNA)
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Sultan of Oman Concludes Bahrain Visit, Stresses Development of Bilateral Ties

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa bids farewell to Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq at the conclusion of his visit to Bahrain. (BNA)
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa bids farewell to Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq at the conclusion of his visit to Bahrain. (BNA)

Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq concluded on Tuesday an official two-day visit to Bahrain.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa saw him off at the airport.

The two monarchs had witnessed the signing of a number of agreements between their countries tackling security and investment.

The leaders also held talks on bilateral relations and regional and international developments.

On Tuesday, they held a meeting at the Al Sakhir Palace to discuss the “unique historic ties” between their countries and various aspects of brotherly cooperation and ways to support and bolster it.

They underscored their keenness to develop their relations and to constantly hold consultations and maintain coordination for the benefit of their countries and peoples.

Sultan Haitham also met with Bahrain’s Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Crown Prince Salman stressed Manama’s keenness on bolstering cooperation and coordination with Oman in all fields to achieve desired goals.

He highlighted the development of relations between Manama and Muscat, citing the signing of agreements and mutual visits between the two parties.

The Omani Royal Court had stated that Sultan Haitham’s visit to Manama came “to consolidate the existing solid historical ties between Oman and Bahrain, and to affirm their keenness to strengthen relations and take them to broader horizons.”



GASTAT: Number of Umrah Performers Rose by 31% in Q4 2024

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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GASTAT: Number of Umrah Performers Rose by 31% in Q4 2024

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), in its report on Umrah statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024, revealed on Thursday that the number of Umrah performers increased by 31% compared to the same quarter in 2023.

The report showed that males constituted about 53% of the Umrah performers, while females accounted for 47%. Saudi nationals comprised 4.5% of the total, with the Makkah Region recording the highest number of domestic Umrah performers.
The report also indicated a 26.2% increase in international Umrah performers compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Of these, 64.7% arrived with an Umrah visa. December saw the highest number of international Umrah performers at 38.2%, while November recorded the highest percentage of domestic Umrah performers completing the ritual for one time, representing 34% of the total.
Umrah statistics have been issued quarterly since 2024, detailing the numbers and percentages of domestic and international Umrah performers based on data from the Pilgrim Experience Program, along with approved statistical models.