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Saudi Arabia Facilitates Visits to Makkah, Madinah for Turkish Nationals

An integrated services system for pilgrims to perform Umrah with ease (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An integrated services system for pilgrims to perform Umrah with ease (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Facilitates Visits to Makkah, Madinah for Turkish Nationals

An integrated services system for pilgrims to perform Umrah with ease (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An integrated services system for pilgrims to perform Umrah with ease (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has launched a package of facilitation to the visitors of Makkah and Madinah from Türkiye.

In a meeting in Istanbul on Tuesday, the Saudi Tourism Authority announced that Turkish nationals wishing to visit Saudi Arabia will now have the option to obtain a tourist visa through the Saudi Embassy or Consulate in Türkiye.

The visa can be issued within 48 hours through accredited travel and tourism offices in Türkiye listed on the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Residents of the United States, the United Kingdom, and European Union countries, or holders of active US, UK, and Schengen visas can obtain the visa upon arrival at the airports in Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh, and Dammam.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah also launched Nusuk, in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority.

Nusuk dedicated a page for Turkish nationals to be able to issue an Umrah visa by purchasing one of the available programs.

Additionally, Saudi citizens can now issue a personal visit visa for their friends, as can citizens and residents wishing to host their relatives.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority and Managing Director of Nusuk, said that “Saudi Arabia continues its efforts” to offer facilitation to the visitors of Makkah and Madinah through various unprecedented services and options that guarantee a smooth and spiritual experience.

Hamidaddin added that the promotional meeting with the presence of more than 50 partners [to the Saudi tourism sector] witnessed the signing of several strategic agreements with major Turkish travel and tourism companies.

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Arab-Western Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh to Discuss Syria

Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
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Arab-Western Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh to Discuss Syria

Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

Riyadh hosted on Sunday a meeting bringing together foreign ministers from Arab and Western countries, as well as representatives of international and UN organizations, to discuss the situation in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime last month.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Asaad Al-Shibani, the foreign minister of Syria’s new administration, will attend the meeting, alongside UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen and Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Ahead of the broader discussions with European counterparts and representatives of participating organizations, Arab foreign ministers will hold a separate meeting to address the Syrian crisis, the same sources revealed.

The US State Department announced in a statement that Under Secretary of State John Bass will attend the multilateral meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia, to coordinate international support for the Syrian people.

The statement added that Bass will hold bilateral meetings during his visit to Riyadh from January 11-13 to discuss key regional and global priorities with Saudi and other international partners.

The Syrian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ayman Sousan, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s significant regional and global influence, emphasizing its “immense potential to assist Syria in overcoming the current challenges.”

Sousan, in a previous interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, praised the ongoing efforts led by the Kingdom under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the supervision of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He noted that Saudi Arabia have consistently extended assistance to Syrians since the start of the crisis in 2011, even when the previous regime obstructed aid delivery to manipulate its distribution.

The Kingdom has been delivering humanitarian aid to Syria in recent days via land and air bridges. These shipments include food, shelter, and medical supplies, aiming to alleviate the dire conditions faced by the Syrian people.

The aid efforts “have no set ceiling,” according to Saudi officials, and will remain in place until their goals of stabilizing the humanitarian situation are achieved, in line with directives from the Saudi leadership.

The Riyadh meeting follows a gathering held in Aqaba, Jordan, in mid-December, when the Ministerial Contact Committee on Syria reaffirmed its commitment to standing by the Syrian people and providing support during this critical period.

The committee, established by the Arab League, includes representatives from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the League’s Secretary-General, and the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain (the current chair of the Arab Summit), and Qatar.

The committee stressed the importance of a comprehensive and peaceful political transition in Syria, involving all political and social forces, including women, youth, and civil society. They emphasized that this process must be fair, inclusive, and guided by UN and Arab League principles, specifically UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

The Aqaba meeting also featured the participation of foreign ministers from Türkiye, France, and the United States.