Saudi Red Sea Project ‘to have 40-50 hotels’

Updated 26 October 2018
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Saudi Red Sea Project ‘to have 40-50 hotels’

  • The Red Sea Project will span a 28,000 square kilometer area on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, approximately 550km north of Jeddah
  • Work to start next year on development spanning 50 islands in western Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: As many as 50 hotels will be part of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project, for which investment partners are due to be courted over the next few months, its CEO said on Thursday.
Plans for the ambitious tourism development, which will span 50 islands off the Red Sea coast, include a nature reserve and heritage sites.
John Pagano, CEO of the Red Sea Development Company, said work would begin on the project next year, with the first phase set to open in 2022.

“The project is going to have many hotels — probably 40 or 50,” he told Arab News on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum in Riyadh.
“We will be represented by all the major luxury brands that are in the marketplace and some new brands that don’t exist today.”
The project’s masterplan is set to be completed soon, with construction due to start in 2019, he added.
“We’ll open in 2022. We haven’t finalized exactly how big the first phase is, but it will be significant, maybe 10 or more hotels, but … we want to finalize the masterplan before we go to market,” Pagano said.

The project is backed by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Pagano said that “numerous people (are) already approaching us to co-invest alongside us.”
He said the company would start to “actively look” for such investors toward the end of this year and in early 2019.
Addressing the FII event, Pagano said the Red Sea Project is expected to create 35,000 jobs.
It is billed as sustainable and eco-friendly, with Pagano saying it is intended to be “a force for good.”
He spoke during a session on so-called “gigaprojects” at the FII event, which concluded on Thursday.
Other such projects include the $500 billion NEOM development, and Qiddiya just outside Riyadh.
Nadhmi Al-Nasr, chief executive of NEOM, said talks with prospective partners are continuing, despite the fallout from the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
“I’ve had tens of meetings (in the) last couple of days with all the partners we’ve been talking to for last few years. The feeling is ‘let’s go’,” Al-Nasr told the FII audience.
Michael Reininger, the chief executive of Qiddiya, confirmed that leisure brand Six Flags is going ahead with plans to open a theme park in the development. Qiddiya is set to span some 334 square kilometers.

 


KSrelief completes pediatric heart surgery, catheterization project in Aleppo

Updated 53 min 16 sec ago
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KSrelief completes pediatric heart surgery, catheterization project in Aleppo

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief has completed a pediatric cardiac surgery and catheterization program in Syria’s Aleppo, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Volunteer medical workers carried out the project — a part of the Saudi Amal Program for Syrians — which ran from May 16 to 23, the SPA reported.

The teams performed 28 cardiac catheterizations and two open-heart operations.

In addition, 30 diagnostic radiology services were provided, 30 laboratory tests conducted, and medications dispensed to 30 patients.

The project is an extension of the specialized volunteer medical initiatives carried out by KSrelief to help people in Syria.


Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues food aid to world’s needy

Updated 04 June 2025
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Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues food aid to world’s needy

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has provided 2,339 food parcels to vulnerable people in the Syrian Arab Republic and Sudan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Syrians in Aleppo received 1,339 parcels, while in Sudan’s Blue Nile State 1,000 were delivered for 4,686 people, the report added.

Saudi Arabia continues to provide much-needed aid to communities in crisis across the world, the SPA reported.

 


Saudi Arabia congratulates Bahrain on election to UN Security Council

Updated 04 June 2025
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Saudi Arabia congratulates Bahrain on election to UN Security Council

  • Bahrain will begin its 2-year term as a nonpermanent member of the council on Jan. 1, 2026
  • It was elected alongside Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia

RIYADH: Saudi authorities congratulated Bahrain on Tuesday after the nation was elected to serve as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2026-2027.

The election of the country “confirms the international community’s confidence in Bahrain’s ability to contribute effectively to strengthening international peace and security,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

The Kingdom wished Bahrain success in representing the interests of the Arab group of nations within the UN and in carrying out its duties as a member of the council.

Bahrain was elected alongside Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia, all of which will serve two-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

The 15-member Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, consists of five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — plus 10 nonpermanent members elected by the General Assembly to serve staggered, two-year terms. Bahrain and the other newly elected nations will therefore join five existing nonpermanent members whose terms conclude at the end of 2026: Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.
 


What is the Hajj pilgrimage and what is Eid Al-Adha? Why are they significant for Muslims?

Updated 03 June 2025
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What is the Hajj pilgrimage and what is Eid Al-Adha? Why are they significant for Muslims?

  • Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia and involves a series of religious rituals
  • It is also one of the Five Pillars of Islam, in addition to the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving and fasting

Once a year, large numbers of Muslim pilgrims converging on Saudi Arabia unite in religious rituals and acts of worship as they perform the Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam. They fulfill a religious obligation, immersing themselves in what can be a spiritual experience of a lifetime for them and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.
Here’s a look at the pilgrimage and its significance to Muslims.
What is the Hajj?
The Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia and involves a series of religious rituals. It’s required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to make it. Some Muslims make the journey more than once.
It is also one of the Five Pillars of Islam, in addition to the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, and fasting.
When is the Hajj?
The Hajj occurs once a year during the lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar year. This year, the Hajj will start on June 4.
When the Hajj falls during the summer months, the intense heat can be especially challenging. Amid extremely high temperatures last year, more than 1,300 people died during the Hajj, Saudi authorities announced then. The country’s health minister said at the time that the vast majority of the fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims who walked long distances under the sun.

Muslim worshippers walk on the streets in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, June 2, 2025. (AFP)

What's the significance of the Hajj to Muslims?
For pilgrims, performing the Hajj fulfills a religious obligation and is also a deeply spiritual experience. It’s seen as a chance to seek God’s forgiveness for past sins, to grow closer to God and to walk in the footsteps of prophets.
Communally, the Hajj unites Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages, and economic classes from around the world in performing religious rituals and acts of worshipping God at the same time and place. This leaves many feeling a sense of unity, connection, humility, and equality. Pilgrims also show up with their own personal appeals, wishes and experiences.
Many pilgrims bring with them prayer requests from family and friends that they would like to be said on their behalf.
Some spend years hoping and praying to one day perform the Hajj, or save up money and wait for a permit to embark on the trip.
Ahead of the journey, preparations may include packing various essentials for the physically demanding trip, seeking tips from those who’ve performed the pilgrimage before, attending lectures or consulting other educational material on how to properly perform a series of Hajj rituals as well as spiritually preparing oneself.

A Muslim pilgrim prays overlooking the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque complex in the holy city of Makkah before the annual Hajj pilgrimage, June 2, 2025. (AFP)

What are some of the rituals that pilgrims perform?
Pilgrims make the intention to perform the Hajj, and they enter a state of “ihram.” Being in ihram includes abiding by certain rules and prohibitions. For instance, men are not to wear regular sewn or stitched clothes that encircle the body, such as shirts, during ihram. Instead, there are simple ihram cloth garments for men; scholars say the purpose is to discard luxuries and vanity, shed worldly status symbols and immerse the pilgrim in humility and devotion to God.
A spiritual highlight of the Hajj for many is standing on the plain of Arafat, where pilgrims praise God, plead for forgiveness and make supplications. Many raise their hands in worship with tears streaming down their faces.
Other rituals include performing “tawaf,” circumambulating, or circling the Kaaba in Makkah counterclockwise seven times. The Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure, is the focal point toward which Muslims face during their daily prayers from anywhere in the world.
Among other rituals, pilgrims also retrace the path of Hagar, or Hajjar, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim, who Muslims believe ran between two hills seven times searching for water for her son.
What is Eid Al-Adha?
Eid Al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” is the Islamic holiday that begins on the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, during the Hajj.
A joyous occasion celebrated by Muslims around the world, Eid Al-Adha marks Ibrahim’s test of faith and his willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of submission to God. During the festive holiday, Muslims slaughter sheep or cattle and distribute some meat to poor people.


Saudi Ministry of Defense deploys evacuation aircraft to safeguard pilgrims’ health during Hajj

Updated 03 June 2025
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Saudi Ministry of Defense deploys evacuation aircraft to safeguard pilgrims’ health during Hajj

  • The ministry will provide advanced ambulance services for transferring emergency patients from Hajj destinations
  • Its logistical and medical teams will oversee aerial evacuations in coordination with the Ministry of Health

MAKKAH: The Saudi Ministry of Defense will deploy a fleet of aerial evacuation aircraft to respond to emergency medical cases during this year’s Hajj season, set to start on June 4.

The ministry will provide advanced ambulance services for transferring emergency health cases from Hajj destinations to hospitals inside and outside Makkah.

An estimated 1.25 million Muslims are taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage, and between June 4-9, they will visit Makkah as well as Mina, Muzdalifah and Mount Arafat, key holy sites for pilgrims.

The ministry’s logistical and medical teams will oversee aerial evacuation operations in coordination with the Ministry of Health. Each aircraft is equipped with devices and supplies similar to a hospital’s intensive care units, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Stationed at locations near the holy sites, the aircraft will quickly respond to emergency cases to safeguard the health of pilgrims. The ministry’s announcement is part of broader health initiatives launched by Saudi authorities and companies during the Hajj season.

On Monday, Saudi authorities announced the use of drones to deliver medicines and other medical supplies to patients during Hajj, cutting delivery times from an average of one hour to just six minutes.

The initiative, covering a network of more than 136 locations at several sites, will be able to provide more than 2,000 types of medicines and other medical supplies.