Saudi Hajj Minister Discusses Improvements, Preparations for Next Season

Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah reviewed key opportunities and development initiatives for the Hajj season during the meeting. (SPA)
Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah reviewed key opportunities and development initiatives for the Hajj season during the meeting. (SPA)
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Saudi Hajj Minister Discusses Improvements, Preparations for Next Season

Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah reviewed key opportunities and development initiatives for the Hajj season during the meeting. (SPA)
Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah reviewed key opportunities and development initiatives for the Hajj season during the meeting. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah met on Friday with representatives of Hajj companies in Mina to evaluate performance, discuss areas for improvement, and begin early preparations for next year’s Hajj.

Al-Rabiah praised the support provided to the Hajj by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, saying their backing has helped in improving services for pilgrims and boosting their overall experience.

He commended the ongoing supervision and follow-up by Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee, which he said helped strengthen coordination and improve operational efficiency during the Hajj season.

Al-Rabiah stressed that preparations for next year’s pilgrimage begin before the current season ends, reflecting the Hajj system’s continuous-work approach aimed at improving service quality and elevating the experience of pilgrims.

The minister stressed the importance of building on the successes achieved during this year’s Hajj and benefiting from lessons learned, performance indicators, and pilgrim satisfaction surveys.

Continuous development remains a core principle of the system serving the pilgrims, he declared.

The meeting reviewed several development initiatives related to digital services, contracting mechanisms, improving the pilgrim experience, and increasing the efficiency of services in housing, transportation, crowd movement, and support services.

The meeting falls within the ministry’s broader efforts to prepare early for the next Hajj season in line with the leadership’s directives to care for pilgrims and continue developing the Hajj system in a way that supports the objectives of the Pilgrim Experience Program, one of the initiatives of Saudi Vision 2030, and enhances the pilgrim experience throughout every stage of the spiritual journey.



Saudi, Polish Defense Ministers Discuss Ways to Support Regional Security

 Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
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Saudi, Polish Defense Ministers Discuss Ways to Support Regional Security

 Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz held on Tuesday a telephone call with Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

They reviewed military and defense cooperation between their countries and discussed ways to support regional security and stability.

They also condemned the terrorist attacks launched by the Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia.


Qatar, Kuwait Condemn Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia in Calls with FM

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah during a visit to Washington in September 2026. (Getty Images/AFP)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah during a visit to Washington in September 2026. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Qatar, Kuwait Condemn Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia in Calls with FM

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah during a visit to Washington in September 2026. (Getty Images/AFP)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah during a visit to Washington in September 2026. (Getty Images/AFP)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received on Tuesday separate phone calls from Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The ministers discussed the latest developments in the region and renewed their condemnation of the heinous attacks by the Houthi terrorist militia targeting civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia.

The calls also covered regional developments and the importance of continued efforts, coordination, and consultations among their countries to strengthen joint Gulf cooperation and preserve regional security and stability.


Coalition Destroys Ballistic and Cruise Missiles, Drones Fired by Houthis at Saudi Arabia

Coalition official spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition official spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Coalition Destroys Ballistic and Cruise Missiles, Drones Fired by Houthis at Saudi Arabia

Coalition official spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition official spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Tuesday that it destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed terrorist Houthi militia at Dhahran city in Saudi Arabia’s east and another at Haradh in the Ahsa region.

Coalition official spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki said that debris from the interception fell into a residential area in Dhahran. Relevant authorities were dealing with the situation.

Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said Wednesday that a "limited fire" broke out at an administrative building belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, in the Dammam metropolitan area, after it was targeted on Tuesday evening.

In a statement on X, a ministry official was cited as saying "an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in the city of Dhahran, Eastern Province, was targeted, resulting in a limited fire".  

Authorities responded to the incident and took the necessary measures, it said, adding that there were no injuries or fatalities. 

Al-Malki added that four cruise missiles and two drones were intercepted and destroyed in the Riyadh Region and the southern region. A fifth cruise missile was downed in the al-Kharj region.

Four people were injured - two women, a man, and a child - and 15 homes sustained limited material damage in Riyadh, said the General Directorate of Civil Defense.

Three Houthi drones were intercepted and destroyed north of Riyadh earlier on Tuesday.