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Saudi Preparations Complete to Receive 2,400 Qatari Hajj Pilgrims

Preparations are complete to receive 2,400 Qatari pilgrims for the annual Hajj. (AFP)
Preparations are complete to receive 2,400 Qatari pilgrims for the annual Hajj. (AFP)
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Saudi Preparations Complete to Receive 2,400 Qatari Hajj Pilgrims

Preparations are complete to receive 2,400 Qatari pilgrims for the annual Hajj. (AFP)
Preparations are complete to receive 2,400 Qatari pilgrims for the annual Hajj. (AFP)

The number of Qatari Hajj pilgrims has risen in 2017 compared to 2016, revealed informed sources to Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday.

They said that 2,400 Qatari pilgrims are expected to perform the Hajj this year, compared to 1,200 in 2016, adding that the tents that will receive them in the holy region of Mecca are complete.

The luxury furnishings and equipment of the Qatari tents set them apart from other pilgrims. They are resistant to the soaring temperatures and the pilgrims will rest in fire-proof ones in Arafat, Mozdalifa and Mina. All tents are also equipped with air conditioners.

The pilgrims from Qatar, as well as those from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, have, since 2006, chosen the National Tawafa Establishment for South Asian Pilgrims as the organizer of their Hajj.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had kicked off the preparations for this year’s pilgrimage immediately after last year’s rituals. The ministry has worked hard to ensure that tents are equipped with air conditioners and that they are properly distributed near the holy sites where the pilgrimage will take place.

Meanwhile, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah announced that up until Sunday, some 95,000 pilgrims have landed in the Kingdom onboard 550 flights, marking a 7.6 percent rise from 2016.

The facility is able to receive 3,800 passengers per hour and it enjoys 320 counters that can perform the traveler procedures, offering the pilgrims special and quick services ahead of departing for Mecca.

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World

Ukrainian Strike Cuts Power to Crimean City to Isolate the Russian-Held Peninsula

A satellite image shows smoke rising by the Crimea Bridge, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Crimea, June 22, 2026.(Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
A satellite image shows smoke rising by the Crimea Bridge, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Crimea, June 22, 2026.(Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
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Ukrainian Strike Cuts Power to Crimean City to Isolate the Russian-Held Peninsula

A satellite image shows smoke rising by the Crimea Bridge, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Crimea, June 22, 2026.(Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
A satellite image shows smoke rising by the Crimea Bridge, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Crimea, June 22, 2026.(Vantor/Handout via Reuters)

Ukrainian strikes on Crimea triggered power outages in its largest city, Sevastopol, both sides reported Wednesday, as Kyiv intensifies its attempts to cut off the peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

Crimea has been forced to suspend fuel sales to the public as Ukraine's army targets Russian logistics to the region and has hit a series of oil refineries and depots across southern Russia that provide supplies.

Sevastopol's Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev urged residents to help vulnerable neighbors and reserve phones for emergency communication to save battery and avoid overloading the grid.

"The enemy is once again striking treacherously, attempting to deprive us of normal living conditions and sow panic," he posted.

He said some areas of the city -- where temperatures are approaching 30C -- would be without power until at least Wednesday evening.

Separate Ukrainian drone attacks killed two people in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, hundreds of kilometers from the front line, and one in the border region of Belgorod, the local governors reported.

And a Russian drone attack killed a 56-year-old woman in the Ukrainian border region of Kharkiv, authorities said.

Russia's defense ministry said the country's forces had destroyed more than 300 drones from Ukraine overnight, with the warring neighbors having stepped up strikes in recent weeks.

Kyiv's air force said Wednesday that Moscow launched 101 drones at Ukraine overnight, of which 95 were destroyed.

US-led talks on ending Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II have remained effectively frozen, with Washington's attention diverted towards the Middle East since launching strikes on Iran in late February.

Sports

Infantino: World Cup Hydration Breaks Purely Sporting, Not Commercial

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group K - Colombia v DR Congo - Estadio Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico - June 23, 2026 Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo gives instructions to his players during a hydration break REUTERS/Raquel Cunha
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group K - Colombia v DR Congo - Estadio Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico - June 23, 2026 Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo gives instructions to his players during a hydration break REUTERS/Raquel Cunha
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Infantino: World Cup Hydration Breaks Purely Sporting, Not Commercial

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group K - Colombia v DR Congo - Estadio Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico - June 23, 2026 Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo gives instructions to his players during a hydration break REUTERS/Raquel Cunha
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group K - Colombia v DR Congo - Estadio Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico - June 23, 2026 Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo gives instructions to his players during a hydration break REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the introduction of hydration breaks at the World Cup, insisting that for football's governing body they are driven purely by sporting considerations and not commercial interests.

Mandatory three-minute breaks, introduced in the 22nd and 67th minutes of every match at the tournament, have drawn criticism from players, coaches and fans since the opening round of fixtures.

The breaks, introduced to help players cope with high temperatures across North America, have opened up additional advertising windows for broadcasters, Reuters reported.

This has fueled debate over their impact on the game, with some viewers complaining about being exposed to commercials during the three-minute stoppages.

"There is no ⁠additional revenue for ⁠FIFA, as all commercial agreements were signed well in advance. So, this is not a financial issue for us. For us, it is purely a sporting matter," Infantino said in a statement on Wednesday.

The breaks allow coaching staff to give in-game tactical instructions, a shift critics say disrupts match momentum and fundamentally alters the nature ⁠of the game.

England manager Thomas Tuchel said the additional break "interrupts and changes the identity of the football match,” while Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said dividing matches into shorter segments takes away the fundamental characteristic of the game.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk have supported the intent behind the rule in extreme heat, but questioned the need for it in cooler conditions and at covered venues.

"The main reason is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the (FIFA) ⁠World Cup, played ⁠over 39 days, with teams potentially playing eight matches in those 39 days, having a moment to rest is extremely important,” Infantino said.

"What matters even more to us is ensuring that all teams, in every match, are playing under the same conditions.

"It's very difficult to accept that a coach might have the opportunity to influence a match by making adjustments simply because it's hotter, while in another match, where the temperature is slightly lower, the same coach doesn’t have the same opportunity."

Infantino added that the breaks had not reduced the intensity of matches, suggesting players were able to maintain a high level of performance throughout games.

Gulf

Oman Opens Temporary Strait of Hormuz Shipping Routes, Says No Tolls Will Be Charged

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15, 2026. (Reuters)
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Oman Opens Temporary Strait of Hormuz Shipping Routes, Says No Tolls Will Be Charged

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15, 2026. (Reuters)

Oman said it would keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping without imposing any tolls and had designated two temporary routes north and south of the existing shipping lane to facilitate the safe passage of vessels departing the region.

In coordination with the International Maritime Organization, Oman established temporary maritime corridors to help ships leave the area safely amid heightened security risks.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for ‌roughly a fifth ‌of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the ‌war, has ⁠been heavily disrupted ⁠since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, curbing commercial shipping and rattling global energy markets.

In a notice to mariners, Oman said the existing Traffic Separation Scheme in the strategic waterway was currently unsafe for use and that vessels departing through the strait could instead use temporary routes located to the north and south of the existing shipping lanes.

The scheme, adopted by the United Nations’ shipping agency ⁠in 1968, established routing lanes through Iranian and Omani waters in ‌the strait.

Oman said the measures ‌reflected its responsibilities towards the strait, its importance to the global economy and its commitment to ‌international law and freedom of navigation, citing understandings reached between the United States and ‌Iran.

Oman said navigational safety remained the overriding priority and that a gradual, controlled movement of vessel traffic was required because of an elevated risk of collisions.

Under a phased plan developed by the IMO in coordination with Omani authorities, vessels will be grouped and contacted individually with instructions on ‌when they may depart and which route they should follow.

Ships will be directed to a designated waiting area in international ⁠waters before being ⁠cleared to proceed.

Vessels using Oman's eastbound route will be required to maintain communications with coastal authorities and comply with all navigational instructions.

Oman said shipowners and masters remained responsible for conducting independent risk assessments before voyages.

Vessels were instructed to keep their Automatic Identification System activated during transit and to report any navigational hazards to the Oman Maritime Security Centre.

Oman's statement said that no tolls would be imposed on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, in line with the outcome of recent talks between the United States and Iran.

Iran and Oman began discussions on the future administration of navigation and maritime services in the waterway on Tuesday.

While the interim US-Iran agreement provides for commercial vessels to transit without charge for 60 days, the talks are expected to address longer-term arrangements, including any costs associated with maritime services after that period ends.