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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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Arab World

UN Force in Lebanon Says Peacekeepers Fired Upon ‘Likely by Non-State Armed Groups’

United Nations peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) drive past a destroyed healthcare center building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese town of Burj Qalawiya on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
United Nations peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) drive past a destroyed healthcare center building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese town of Burj Qalawiya on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
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UN Force in Lebanon Says Peacekeepers Fired Upon ‘Likely by Non-State Armed Groups’

United Nations peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) drive past a destroyed healthcare center building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese town of Burj Qalawiya on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
United Nations peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) drive past a destroyed healthcare center building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese town of Burj Qalawiya on March 14, 2026. (AFP)

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said its peacekeepers were fired upon three times on Sunday, "likely by non-state armed groups" in the country's south.

The incident came two days after a different UN position was hit by fire that official Lebanese media blamed on Israel, with UNIFIL saying it was investigating.

"Today, UNIFIL peacekeepers were fired upon, likely by non-state armed groups, on three separate occasions while conducting patrols around their bases" in south Lebanon, the force said in a statement.

In one of the locations, the fire struck "as close as five meters from the peacekeepers", it added.

"Two patrols returned fire in self-defense and after brief exchanges, the patrols resumed their planned activities. No peacekeeper was injured," the statement said.

"We strongly remind all actors of their obligations under international law to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel at all times."

Lebanon was drawn into the broader Middle East war on March 2, when the Tehran-backed group Hezbollah attacked Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel has since launched waves of air strikes on its northern neighbor and deployed troop into border areas, while Hezbollah has launched rockets and missiles towards Israeli territory and troops.

Lebanese state media said that Israeli fire hit a UNIFIL base in southern Lebanon on Friday.

UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said the position was hit "likely by heavy machine gun fire", without identifying the source, and said an investigation had been launched into the incident, which left one peacekeeper lightly wounded.

Earlier this month, three peacekeepers serving with a Ghanaian contingent were wounded in south Lebanon, with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accusing Israel of being responsible and UNIFIL saying it would investigate.

On Saturday, during a visit to Beirut, UN chief Antonio Guterres said attacks against peacekeepers and their positions were "completely unacceptable and... may constitute war crimes".

UNIFIL has acted as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon since 1978. Its mission concludes at the end of this year.

Arab World

WHO Releases $2 Million in Emergency Funds to Lebanon, Iraq and Syria

A child poses for a photo, at a school hosting displaced people, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Lebaa, Lebanon, March 15, 2026. (Reuters)
A child poses for a photo, at a school hosting displaced people, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Lebaa, Lebanon, March 15, 2026. (Reuters)
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WHO Releases $2 Million in Emergency Funds to Lebanon, Iraq and Syria

A child poses for a photo, at a school hosting displaced people, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Lebaa, Lebanon, March 15, 2026. (Reuters)
A child poses for a photo, at a school hosting displaced people, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Lebaa, Lebanon, March 15, 2026. (Reuters)

The World ‌Health Organization said on Sunday it had released $2 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) to support the health response in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria amidst the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

The conflict has triggered a large-scale population movement, the WHO ‌said last week, ‌estimating that more ‌than 100,000 ⁠people in Iran ⁠have relocated, and up to 700,000 people in Lebanon have been internally displaced.

$1 million has been allocated to Lebanon to strengthen the WHO's emergency coordination ⁠through the Public Health Emergency Operations ‌Center, scale ‌up trauma care, reinforce disease surveillance, ‌and procure and distribute essential ‌medicines and medical supplies, the agency said in a statement.

Iraq and Syria have each been allocated $500,000 to support emergency ‌coordination and mass-casualty management, procure and distribute essential medicines ⁠and ⁠supplies, provide health services for displaced populations, and strengthen disease surveillance and community outreach, it added.

"At a time when health services are already facing significant challenges, support is essential to sustain frontline health workers and maintain critical care services," Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean said.

Entertainment

‘Hoppers’ Tops N. America Box Office for 2nd Straight Week

Jon Hamm. (Getty Images for Disney)
Jon Hamm. (Getty Images for Disney)
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‘Hoppers’ Tops N. America Box Office for 2nd Straight Week

Jon Hamm. (Getty Images for Disney)
Jon Hamm. (Getty Images for Disney)

"Hoppers," the latest original animated film from Disney's Pixar, maintained its position atop the North American box office with $28.5 million in ticket sales in its second weekend, industry estimates showed Sunday.

The adventure comedy, which tells the story of young animal lover Mabel who uses technology to transfer her consciousness into a robotic beaver so she can better communicate and protect wildlife, has now pulled in $165 million worldwide, according to Exhibitor Relations.

The voice cast features Meryl Streep, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy and Piper Curda as Mabel.

Debuting at number two was Universal's romance "Reminders of Him," based on the novel by Colleen Hoover and starring Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers. It earned $18.2 million in the United States and Canada.

"This is an excellent opening for an original romance picture, at well above average levels for the genre," wrote analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

Another new arrival, the horror flick "Undertone" distributed by A24, came in third, with $9.3 million in ticket sales.

The it's-coming-from-inside-the-house scare-fest, complete with a deeply unsettling soundscape, narrowly bested the latest in an iconic series of the genre, "Scream 7."

Paramount's new installment in the 30-year-old slasher series, featuring yet another Ghostface killer, held onto fourth position earning $8.3 million, for a global three-week total of $176.5 million.

Sony's family-friendly animated film "GOAT" -- the story of an undersized domesticated mammal who wants to join a basketball-like "roarball" team -- in its fifth week slipped one spot to fifth, at $4.7 million, and $162.5 million globally.