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Saudi Arabia Declares Saturday First Day of Ramadan

People sight the Ramadan crescent moon. (Majmaah University)
People sight the Ramadan crescent moon. (Majmaah University)
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Saudi Arabia Declares Saturday First Day of Ramadan

People sight the Ramadan crescent moon. (Majmaah University)
People sight the Ramadan crescent moon. (Majmaah University)

Saudi Arabia declared on Friday that Saturday was the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

"Tomorrow, Saturday, will be the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan," the Kingdom said Friday, in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE also announced the Saturday start of Ramadan.

The starting date of the dawn-dusk fasting month of Ramadan is determined by both lunar calculations and physical sightings of a new moon.

On the occasion, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz said Ramadan was an opportunity to shun disputes.

Delivering a message on his behalf, acting Media Minister Dr. Majid al-Qasabi said: "God has blessed us with Ramadan after the coronavirus pandemic is on the decline."

"We thank God in the great success we achieved in combating the pandemic and its impact," he added.

He stressed that the Kingdom is honored in welcoming the Umrah and Hajj pilgrims after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

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GCC Renews Mandate of Jasem Albudaiwi as Secretary-General

Secretary General of GCC’s Council, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
Secretary General of GCC’s Council, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
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GCC Renews Mandate of Jasem Albudaiwi as Secretary-General

Secretary General of GCC’s Council, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
Secretary General of GCC’s Council, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.

The Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Sunday renewed the appointment of Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi as its Secretary-General for another three years, starting February 1, 2026.
“The decision is in appreciation of Albudaiwi’s great efforts and effective contribution to strengthening the Council's progress, wishing him success in his duties during the coming period,” said the final statement issued during the Council’s 45th session, held in Kuwait.
Albudaiwi officially assumed the role of Secretary General on February 1, 2023, succeeding Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al Hajraf.
Before his appointment in 2023, Albudaiwi was ambassador of Kuwait to the United States.
He was born on February 22, 1968, and earned a Diploma in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Oxford in 1993. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, which he completed in 1991.
Throughout his career, he held several prominent positions, including Kuwait's Ambassador to the US from 2022 to 2023. He also served as non-resident Ambassador to Luxembourg (2017-2022), Head of Mission to the European Union (2017-2022), Head of Mission to NATO (2016-2022), Ambassador to Belgium (2016-2022), and Ambassador to South Korea (2013-2016).
Albudaiwi is the seventh Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which was established on May 25, 1981.
Kuwaiti Abdullah Bishara served as the Council’s Secretary-General from 1981 to 1993, followed by the UAE’s Fahim Al-Qasimi (1993-1996), Saudi Arabia’s Jamil Al-Hejailan (1996-2002), Qatar’s Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah (2002-2011), Bahrain’s Abdullatif Al-Zayani (2011-2020), and Kuwaiti Nayef Al-Hajraf (2020-2023).