King Salman Orders Hosting of 2,322 Pilgrims from over 88 Countries

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
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King Salman Orders Hosting of 2,322 Pilgrims from over 88 Countries

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered on Tuesday the hosting of 1,300 pilgrims from over 88 countries to perform this year’s Hajj.

Also included in the order are 1,000 pilgrims from families of martyrs, prisoners and wounded Palestinians, and 22 pilgrims from families of conjoined twins who were separated in the Kingdom.

The gesture is part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guests Program for Hajj, Umrah and Visit that is supervised and implemented annually by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance.

Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, and General Supervisor of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Hajj Guests Program Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh voiced his gratitude to King Salman and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for this noble Royal gesture.

The move reflects their constant care for Muslims around the world, and their efforts to strengthen unity and brotherhood among Muslims by bringing them together for Hajj at the expense of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, he added.

Al Al-Sheikh noted that since the issuance of the Royal order, the ministry has been preparing to host the pilgrims and developed a strategic plan, together with several committees dedicated to caring for the guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

The plan starts upon the pilgrims' departure from their home countries and ensures that they receive all facilitations to perform the Umrah and Hajj with ease and visit Madinah and perform prayer at the Prophet's Mosque.

Since its inception 26 years ago, more than 60,000 pilgrims have been hosted through the program.



Saudi Arabia Emphasizes Peaceful Cooperation to Achieve Global Security

Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila speaks during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. (Photo: Saudi Mission in Geneva)
Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila speaks during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. (Photo: Saudi Mission in Geneva)
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Saudi Arabia Emphasizes Peaceful Cooperation to Achieve Global Security

Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila speaks during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. (Photo: Saudi Mission in Geneva)
Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila speaks during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. (Photo: Saudi Mission in Geneva)

Saudi Arabia emphasized peaceful international cooperation as a means to achieve global prosperity, stability and security, stressing the importance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the necessity of its full implementation.

Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila, the Permanent Saudi Representative to the United Nations and international organizations in Geneva, participated in the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.

The ambassador called for more effective international efforts to achieve the goals and universality of the NPT, urging non-party states to join the treaty and subject all their nuclear facilities to the comprehensive safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Affirming the right to the peaceful use of nuclear technology under Article 4 of the Treaty, he underlined the importance of adhering to the highest standards of transparency and reliability, calling on all parties to cooperate to promote peaceful use for the benefit of global development and well-being.

He stated that the responsibility for making the Middle East a nuclear-weapon-free zone lies with the international community, especially the sponsors of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East.

Bin Khothaila condemned the recent statements and threats made by a member of the Israeli government regarding the use of nuclear weapons against the Palestinians, describing his words as violations of international law and a threat to global peace and security.

He further called for intensifying cooperation between the parties to the NPT to attain positive results at the next “review conference” in 2026, with the aim of achieving a safe world free of nuclear weapons.