Additional Support to Beneficiaries of Saudi Citizen Account Program Extended

King Salman bin Abdulaziz (SPA)
King Salman bin Abdulaziz (SPA)
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Additional Support to Beneficiaries of Saudi Citizen Account Program Extended

King Salman bin Abdulaziz (SPA)
King Salman bin Abdulaziz (SPA)

Additional assistance given to beneficiaries of Saudi Arabia’s Citizen Account Program will be extended for another three months until March with registration in the Program being reopened in line with the previously announced regulations.

The move comes after an order made by King Salman at the recommendation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Royal directives issued in July 2022 allocated a total of SAR20 billion for the Program, of which SAR8 billion was allocated as additional financial support for beneficiaries of the program until the end of the fiscal year 2022.

The Saudi leadership approving additional support for those registered in the Program comes as an extension of the attention that the state gives to families most in need of support to help them face the repercussions of high global prices.

The continuation of registration in the Program aims to expand the circle of beneficiaries of the allocated subsidy to include those who are eligible.

Moreover, the Program proved highly efficient as it is one of the ideal tools for directing subsidies to the beneficiaries.

The Program has proved successful in mitigating the vulnerability of families to some economic reforms.

The mechanism for directing the amount of additional support in the Program depends on the criteria of the size and income of families. It is also based on the principle of achieving social justice by directing the highest amount of support to the neediest families.

The Program, in implementation of the royal directive, started depositing the support allocated for the month of January at about SAR3.6 billion.

This support is being funneled to beneficiaries whose requests have been completed, as the number of beneficiaries who met the eligibility criteria in the sixty-second installment reached 11.1 million.

Since its launch, the Program has paid beneficiaries more than SAR145 billion, of which 1.8 billion riyals were compensation for previous payments.



Muslim Pilgrims ‘Stone the Devil’ as Hajj Nears End in Saudi Arabia

Muslim pilgrims cast stones at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina near the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP)
Muslim pilgrims cast stones at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina near the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP)
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Muslim Pilgrims ‘Stone the Devil’ as Hajj Nears End in Saudi Arabia

Muslim pilgrims cast stones at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina near the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP)
Muslim pilgrims cast stones at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina near the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP)

Pilgrims were performing the last major ritual of the Hajj -- the "stoning of the devil" -- on Friday, as Muslims around the globe celebrated the beginning of the Eid al-Adha holiday.

From before daybreak, the 1.6 million-plus pilgrims began throwing seven stones at each of three concrete walls symbolizing the devil in the Mina valley, on the outskirts of the holy city of Makkah.

Droves of pilgrims had already set out from their accommodation in the sprawling tent city in Mina before dawn, taking advantage of the cool temperatures.

The ritual commemorates Abraham's stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God's order to sacrifice his son.

"Our experience in Mina was easy and simple. We entered and within five minutes we had completed the stoning of the devil at the 'Jamarat'," said 34-year-old Wael Ahmed Abdel Kader, from Egypt, after carrying out the ritual at dawn.

Howakita, a pilgrim from Guinea, said the prospect of celebrating Eid in Makkah filled her with joy.

"When I threw the stones, I felt at ease. I was truly proud," she said.

A day earlier, pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat, praying and reciting Quranic verses at the 70-meter (230-foot) rocky rise near Makkah, where the Prophet Mohammed gave his last sermon.

Many climbed the mount despite the searing heat, though numbers had thinned by midday following official warnings for pilgrims to stay inside between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

This year's Hajj saw authorities implementing a range of heat mitigation efforts alongside a wide-ranging crackdown on illicit pilgrims.