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Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Supporting the Mission of the Board of Peace in Gaza

Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairing the Cabinet session held in Riyadh - SPA
Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairing the Cabinet session held in Riyadh - SPA
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Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Supporting the Mission of the Board of Peace in Gaza

Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairing the Cabinet session held in Riyadh - SPA
Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairing the Cabinet session held in Riyadh - SPA

Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the Cabinet session held in Riyadh on Tuesday.

At the outset of the session, the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on the message he received from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain, which addressed relations between the two brotherly countries.

The Cabinet reviewed current regional and international developments, reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting the mission of the Board of Peace in Gaza as a transitional authority to end the conflict, facilitate reconstruction, and pave the way for security and stability for the countries and peoples of the region, SPA reported.

In a statement to the SPA following the session, Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said the Cabinet commended the participation of the Kingdom’s delegation in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, highlighting the progress made in achieving Saudi Vision 2030 goals.

The Cabinet also welcomed the Kingdom’s hosting of the WEF Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting, scheduled for April 22–23, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s role in promoting global economic stability and strengthening communication between developed and developing economies to address shared global challenges.

The Cabinet expressed appreciation for the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the third edition of the Global Labor Market Conference in Riyadh, praising the resulting agreements aimed at empowering the workforce, utilizing artificial intelligence, and building sustainable ecosystems. Furthermore, the Cabinet commended the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) for launching its 2026 plan, which comprises 422 humanitarian projects globally, reflecting the Kingdom’s steadfast approach to providing aid and assistance to those in need.

The Cabinet reviewed several reports on completed and ongoing projects and programs within the comprehensive development process. It praised the rapid progress of the Housing Program, which successfully raised the citizen homeownership rate to 66.2% by the end of 2025, with the number of beneficiaries exceeding one million.

The Cabinet also emphasized that more than 700 international companies have chosen Saudi Arabia as their regional headquarters, reflecting the Kingdom’s achievements in infrastructure and its attractive business environment.

The Cabinet deemed the opening of the new expansion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and the inauguration of Al-Jouf International Airport as two important pillars for expanding air connectivity, improving the passenger experience, and keeping pace with economic and developmental progress in line with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy under Saudi Vision 2030.

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Gulf

Saudi Arabia Condemns Provocative Israeli Practices at Al-Aqsa

Saudi Arabia condemned raising the Israeli flag in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg
Saudi Arabia condemned raising the Israeli flag in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Provocative Israeli Practices at Al-Aqsa

Saudi Arabia condemned raising the Israeli flag in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg
Saudi Arabia condemned raising the Israeli flag in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg

Saudi Arabia has condemned “repeated provocative practices” by Israeli officials at Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.

A Foreign Ministry statement said Thursday that most recently an Israeli official stormed the Mosque under police protection, and another official raised the Israeli flag in the Mosque compound.

The statement said that “the Kingdom reaffirms its categorical rejection of all actions that undermine the historical and legal status of Al-Quds and its holy sites.”

It urged the international community “to put an end to such practices that violate international laws and norms, and to hold the Israeli occupation authorities accountable for their serious and ongoing violations against Islamic holy sites and innocent civilians in the State of Palestine.”

Gulf

860,000 Pilgrims Arrive as Saudi Arabia Declares Full Readiness for Hajj

The ministers affirmed the Kingdom’s full readiness to serve pilgrims. (Photo by Saleh Al-Ghannam) 
The ministers affirmed the Kingdom’s full readiness to serve pilgrims. (Photo by Saleh Al-Ghannam) 
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860,000 Pilgrims Arrive as Saudi Arabia Declares Full Readiness for Hajj

The ministers affirmed the Kingdom’s full readiness to serve pilgrims. (Photo by Saleh Al-Ghannam) 
The ministers affirmed the Kingdom’s full readiness to serve pilgrims. (Photo by Saleh Al-Ghannam) 

Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it was fully prepared to receive and serve pilgrims during this year’s Hajj season through an integrated system of security, health, transport and logistical services from arrival through departure.

Speaking at a government press conference on Wednesday, five Saudi ministers stressed the Kingdom’s readiness to ensure the safety of pilgrims, facilitate their movement and improve services at the holy sites in Makkah and Medina.

Saudi Information Minister Salman Al-Dossary said the Kingdom’s Hajj security system was operating through detailed plans based on crowd movement analysis and forecasting using artificial intelligence and modern technologies to improve response times and safety.

Al-Dossary stressed that the Interior Ministry continued to implement the “Makkah Route” initiative for an eighth year in 10 countries through 17 entry points. Since its launch, more than 1.2 million pilgrims have benefited from the program, he said. He added that fifth-generation mobile network coverage at the holy sites had reached 100%, supported by more than 4,200 technical personnel working on the ground.

More than 150 media organizations and over 3,000 local and international journalists are covering this year’s Hajj season, according to Al-Dossary.

Meanwhile, Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said more than 860,000 pilgrims had arrived so far through air, land and sea ports.

“The opportunity has been made available for more than 30 Saudi companies to provide services for foreign pilgrims and enable direct booking without intermediaries from more than 126 non-Muslim countries,” Al-Rabiah stated.

He added that accommodation capacity at Mina had been expanded through the construction of the Kedana Al-Khaif camps near the Jamarat complex over an area of 24,000 square meters.

Al-Rabiah revealed that the “Pilgrim Without a Bag” initiative had been expanded to all foreign pilgrims this year, allowing them to ship luggage directly from their home countries to their accommodation and have it returned after the pilgrimage. He said processing times had been cut from 120 minutes to 15 minutes.

He added that services for pilgrims were being coordinated among more than 60 government and operational entities through over 600 work plans. The Nusuk application now serves more than 51 million users worldwide and offers more than 130 digital services during this year’s Hajj season, he underlined.

For his part, Transport and Logistics Minister Saleh Al-Jasser noted that the aviation sector had mobilized its operational capacity across Saudi airports to ensure a smooth travel experience for pilgrims.

More than 3 million seats have been allocated through six airports linking the Kingdom to more than 300 airports worldwide via 104 airlines, he said, adding that airports were equipped to receive more than 1.5 million pilgrims arriving from abroad. Early transport packages introduced for pilgrims would help shield them from rising transportation costs, he remarked.

The minister further pointed that authorities had carried out extensive road maintenance and bridge repairs and expanded the use of road-cooling technology at the holy sites.

He explained that more than 3,000 buses have been allocated to transport pilgrims between accommodations and the Grand Mosque, while another 5,000 buses will provide shuttle services. More than 46,000 personnel have also been deployed to serve pilgrims during the Hajj season.

Municipalities and Housing Minister Majed Al-Hogail said services provided to pilgrims had evolved significantly in recent years through greater coordination among government agencies.

He told the press conference that municipal authorities across the Kingdom were working together to support pilgrims arriving through ports and regional roads, while advanced infrastructure networks covering 4.6 million square meters had been completed between the holy sites.

More than 88,000 sanitation workers are operating around the clock, while authorities are conducting 2,800 daily inspections covering food, water and public facilities, according to Al-Hogail.

Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel said Saudi Arabia had continued developing its Hajj system year after year until it became a global model for managing mass gatherings.

Responding to concerns over epidemics, including hantavirus, Al-Jalajel stated that there was “no concern over any epidemic” affecting pilgrims and that Saudi authorities were closely coordinating with international organizations.

He noted that more than 52,000 healthcare workers had been deployed for this year’s Hajj season, supported by over 20,000 hospital beds, including 3,800 beds at the holy sites — triple last year’s capacity.

Authorities have also allocated 3,000 ambulances, 11 medical evacuation aircraft and 7,700 paramedics, in addition to 25 healthcare centers supporting hospitals at the holy sites, he added.

 

 

 

Gulf

Saudi Defense Minister Meets with UK’s National Security Adviser

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz
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Saudi Defense Minister Meets with UK’s National Security Adviser

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has met in Jeddah with National Security Adviser for the United Kingdom Jonathan Powell.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed aspects of Saudi-British relations and cooperation and discussed coordination to address the challenges facing the region amid its current developments, as well as efforts to de-escalate the situation in a manner that preserves security and stability.

The meeting was attended by Adviser to the Minister of Defense for Intelligence Affairs Hisham bin Saif.

On the British side, the meeting was attended by Prime Minister's Special Adviser for Business and Investment Varun Chandra, British Ambassador to the Kingdom Stephen Hitchen, and a number of officials.