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GCC Praises Saudi Arabia's Efforts in Yemen

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was founded in 1981. Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was founded in 1981. Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters
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GCC Praises Saudi Arabia's Efforts in Yemen

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was founded in 1981. Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was founded in 1981. Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Naif Al Hajraf has praised the efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Yemen which resulted in accelerating and activating the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement.

Hajraf also confirmed GCC’s keenness to restore security and stability in Yemen and its return as an active member in the Gulf and Arab arenas.

He affirmed the Council’s support for the United Nations efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis in accordance with the GCC initiative and its mechanisms, the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue and the Security Council Resolution No. 2216.

In a phone call with Yemeni Premier Maeen Abdulmalik, Hajraf hailed the Saudi efforts aimed at implementing the Riyadh Agreement and expressed his wishes to cope with current difficulties to alleviate Yemenis' suffering and help them reach the stability they pursue.

Yemen's PM said everyone is determined to apply the recently reached mechanism, to accelerate the Riyadh Agreement implementation, that has already started with his mandate and the appointment of Aden governor and the police director in preparation for the next steps.

He further lauded the great efforts and unlimited support provided by Saudi Arabia in Yemen's decisively existential battle to maintain its Arab identity and abort the Iranian project assumed by the Houthi group.

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Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia for Hajj Stream into Arafat

Muslim pilgrims pray at dawn on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage on June 5, 2025. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)
Muslim pilgrims pray at dawn on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage on June 5, 2025. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)
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Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia for Hajj Stream into Arafat

Muslim pilgrims pray at dawn on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage on June 5, 2025. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)
Muslim pilgrims pray at dawn on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage on June 5, 2025. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)

Around two million pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj, a government spokesperson said Wednesday.

Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a religious obligation involving rituals and acts of worship that every Muslim must fulfil if they have the money and are physically able to do it.

Hajj Ministry spokesperson Ghassan Al-Nuwaimi provided an approximate number for foreigners at this year’s pilgrimage. He did not say how many domestic pilgrims were taking part. Last year, there were 1,611,310 pilgrims from outside the country.

On Wednesday, pilgrims streamed into Arafat, some making the journey on foot, carrying their luggage through temperatures nudging 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Others carried the elderly.

People paused to sit on the ground to rest or eat before heading to their camps.

Mount Arafat, a rocky hill southeast of Makkah, holds immense significance in Islam. Arafat is mentioned in the Quran and it is where the Prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon on his final Hajj.

According to traditional sayings of the prophet, the Day of Arafat is the most sacred day of the year, when God draws near to the faithful and forgives their sins.

Pilgrims remain in Arafat, in prayer and reflection, from after midnight until after sunset. After sunset Thursday, pilgrims will go to the desert plain of Muzdalifah to collect pebbles, which they will use in a ritual.

Earlier in the week, Health Minister Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel told The Associated Press that 10,000 trees have been planted to provide more shade, there is increased hospital bed capacity, and the number of paramedics has tripled.