JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s temporary ban on Umrah pilgrims, imposed as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the killer coronavirus, was on Thursday backed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The OIC’s General Secretariat stressed its full support for the Kingdom’s preventive measures aimed at protecting its citizens and worshippers intending to perform Umrah or visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision to suspend entry to the country for Umrah pilgrims was made to ensure public safety and stop the deadly virus, known as Covid-19, from spreading.
The common practice of foreign pilgrims visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah before or after the completion of their religious duties in Makkah, had also been halted, the ministry added.
Approving the move, the OIC said: “The Kingdom’s decision to ban the entry of pilgrims temporarily will help preserve their safety. It comes in line with the adopted international standards and supports the efforts of states and international organizations, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO).”
The OIC’s view was on Thursday echoed by the Council of Arab Health Ministers at the end of its 53rd session being held at the Arab League’s headquarters.
Council members highlighted the importance of “boosting cooperation between Arab states to implement joint measures preventing the transmission of Covid-19 and supporting the affected states when discovering new cases.”
The health ministers also emphasized the necessity of making the most of the adoption of risk assessment systems and approaches for dealing with the virus outbreak among Arab states.
The council commended measures already taken by Arab countries, in accordance with WHO guidelines, to respond, prevent and fight the spread of the coronavirus. It pointed out the importance of promoting communication, the exchange of information, and continuous coordination between Arab League member states and their relevant health bodies and sectors.
However, chairman of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s committee on hotels, Abdullah Filali, warned of tough times ahead for the holy city’s accommodation sector.
He told Arab News that with more than 1,300 hotels, Makkah was heading toward a difficult season with high financial losses if the Umrah ban continued and was extended until Ramadan.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Minister of Religious Endowments Sheikh Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, gave his support to the Saudi move. “The decision to ban Umrah visas is justified, as it intends to preserve the lives of pilgrims from a certain doom. The Saudi foreign ministry said that this measure is temporary and will be continuously re-evaluated,” he said.
“We all know that crowded places are more vulnerable to the spread of the virus, which was confirmed by the WHO’s reports. We ask Allah to save all humanity and protect Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world against all harm,” the minister added.
Sheikh Dr. Khalid Al-Halibi, director of the House of Expertise for Research and Social Studies, said: “We support our government’s decision which aims to preserve the lives and the well-being of the people. It is a necessary preventive measure that was appreciated by the professionals.”
The Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques announced its readiness to deal with any epidemic, saying it would provide all necessary information to pilgrims and had doubled cleaning schedules for courtyards and corridors at the Two Holy Mosques.
Highly qualified cadres used the latest cleaning and sterilization tools, said Jaber Widaani, director of the mosques’ department of disinfection and carpets, noting that 13,500 prayer rugs were swept and fragranced on a daily basis.
The presidency added that it was raising media awareness in all languages and via information screens to pass on the latest medical instructions and emergency developments.
Saudi ban on Umrah pilgrims backed by OIC, Arab health ministers
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Saudi ban on Umrah pilgrims backed by OIC, Arab health ministers
- The Egyptian minister of religious endowments also gave his support to the Saudi move
- The common practice of foreign pilgrims visiting the Prophet’s Mosque before or after the completion of rituals in Makkah, has also been halted
Saudi king, crown prince extend condolences to Indian president after air crash
- The Air India passenger plane bound for London with more than 240 people on board crashed and exploded after takeoff and there were no known survivors
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman extended their condolences to Indian President Droupadi Murmu after a plane crashed after takeoff in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The Air India passenger plane bound for London with more than 240 people on board crashed and exploded after takeoff and only one person survived, officials said.
Black smoke billowed from the site where the plane crashed into a medical college hostel and burst into flames near the airport in Ahmedabad, a city of more than 5 million and the capital of Gujarat.
In separate cables, the king and crown prince extended their condolences to Murmu, the families of the deceased, and to the Indian people. They also wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Arab storytelling tradition makes region ideal for filmmaking: Katara executive
- Demand for premium Arabic content that resonates with a global audience is the main driver for production company
- Authenticity requires cultural integrity — such as maintaining dialect, accents and costumes
Riyadh: The Arab world’s roots in detailed storytelling means that the region is well suited to making movies, according to Hussein Fakhri, chief commercial officer and executive producer for Katara Studios, and the latest guest on The Mayman Show.
Founded in 2018, the Doha-based production powerhouse is behind regionally iconic projects such as the fantasy short film “The Lost Chapter of Kelileh & Demneh” and the ceremonies for the 2022 FIFA Arab Cup.
“Storytelling, I think, is in our DNA, as Arabs generally, right? We come from a long line of storytellers; it is really part of who we are,” Fakhri said. “For me, the sort of career advancement was very much evolutionary, organic, as I come from an advertising and marketing background.”
Before entering the world of filmmaking and immersive storytelling, Hussein started out in Dublin, Ireland, pioneering digital advertising in a market far from his cultural roots. Hussein left the marketing agency life and now leads Katara’s mission to produce bold, meaningful stories that resonate with a global audience with an unapologetically Arab perspective.
“I had my own advertising agency, and we had so much work that I had to found a film production company to be able to shoot our TV commercials,” Fakhri said. “I would hire filmmakers, and we started doing short films, more brand films and documentaries, and that just sort of evolved. I just love the craft, although I’m not a filmmaker myself, but I just love the business of it.”
Part of the work was instrumental in what eventually evolved into Katara Studios, founded by a group of talented filmmakers, he said. “Watching them work and watching the kind of stuff that they do — just the love for it grew, to be honest.”
The need for premium Arabic content that resonates with a global audience is the main driver for what Katara does creatively, he said.
“We have a huge audience. We have 500 million Arabic speakers. And we have very little premium content for them. There was a gap there that was spotted and an opportunity to be able to create premium content for this primary audience.”
The demand for premium Arabic content and the interest in Arabic culture made for a great recipe for success, he said.
“We also have a lot of people around the world that are very interested in our culture, are very interested in our part of the world. And I don’t think we’ve given them enough content to engage with us, and that’s what we are trying to do, ultimately.”
With a culture as rich and layered as the Arab world’s, authenticity is not simply a goal — it is a responsibility for Katara Studios projects, he said, as they aim to bring stories to life with depth, accuracy, and heart, even when they are infused with other styles of filmmaking.
Katara Studios is producing a fantasy Bedouin Western, and according to Fakhri, a balance for this genre experimentation and cultural authenticity is critical to telling a good story and being innovative without losing its Arab essence.
Asked how Bedouin storytelling could be showcased with this approach to experimental filmmaking, Fakhri said: “You know, I’m so glad you brought up that word because authenticity is the foundation for everything that we try to do. Genuinely, it has to be authentic. Because if it is not authentic — if you’re trying to please an audience just by throwing stuff in there — it shows every time.”
Authenticity required cultural integrity — such as maintaining dialect, accents, costumes and other small and important details in the presentation — and this would then reflect very positively to the film, he said.
“You get every element of it right; it really comes through in the final product. So, we’re very careful to try to be as authentic as possible. And I think we’ve done that with this project,” Fakhri said.
Rare kidney operation performed at King Faisal Specialist Hospital
- Precise medication management needed for surgery
- No stomach incisions, with suture done via the mouth
RIYADH: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh recently performed a rare Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty on a patient who had previously undergone a kidney transplant.
In a statement, KFSHRC said the operation was considered “the first of its kind in the region.”
It required “meticulous management of immunosuppressive medications and the prevention of any complications that could jeopardize the transplanted organ.
“This procedure marks a significant advancement in providing safe treatment solutions for transplant recipients, to improve their graft survival and quality of life.”
The ESG procedure differs from surgical sleeve gastrectomy in that it requires no abdominal incisions, which is important for transplant patients.
Instead, it uses an endoscope inserted through the mouth to suture the stomach internally, effectively reducing its volume and enabling the patient to lose weight and improve overall health.
The procedure was performed by a multidisciplinary team of experts led by Dr. Ehab Abufarhaneh, consultant in adult transplant gastroenterology and hepatology.
Abufarhaneh told Arab News: “Performing endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty on a kidney transplant patient is exceptionally rare and complex due to the need to protect the transplanted organ while carefully managing immunosuppressive therapy.”
“This procedure provides a safe therapeutic option for transplant recipients, addressing a critical medical challenge and helping preserve graft function through a minimally invasive approach tailored to their condition,” Abufarhaneh added.
The team included gastroenterologists, various transplant surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nursing staff.
In the statement, the hospital said it was “adopting innovative techniques tailored to the unique needs of transplant patients and developing treatment protocols that address post-transplant challenges.”
The facility “reinforces its position as a regional referral hub for cases beyond the scope of conventional treatment pathways,” and as a leading healthcare provider in the region.
It was fulfilling its vision of being the optimal choice for patients supported by an integrated ecosystem of education, research, and clinical excellence that aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, the hospital stated.
The hospital has been ranked by Brand Financing 2025 as first in the Middle East and North Africa, and 15th globally on the list of the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centers for the third consecutive year.
Additionally, it was included in the World’s Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025 by Newsweek magazine.
Hadiyah launches program to promote cultural and humanitarian engagement with pilgrims
RIYADH: The Hajj and Mutamer’s Gift Charitable Association (Hadiyah), based in Makkah, has launched the “Let Them Witness the Benefits” to offer enriching experiences to pilgrims after completion of the Hajj rituals, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The program aims to build bridges of cultural and humanitarian engagement between pilgrims and Saudi society by hosting pilgrims in Saudi homes, where they experience traditional hospitality and learn about the Kingdom’s values, customs and traditions, fostering a sense of closeness and belonging.
The chairman of Hadiyah, Hatem Al-Marzouki, said that the program is one of several initiatives designed to create a lasting positive effect after Hajj by strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties between pilgrims and Saudi society.
“Hadiyah’s services go beyond hospitality, offering a comprehensive and unforgettable experience that reflects the human values of the Saudi people,” he said.
Al-Marzouki said the program is part of an integrated system of high-quality initiatives aligned with the aspirations of Saudi leadership.
According to SPA, these initiatives aim to enhance the pilgrims’ experience and strengthen the Kingdom’s image as a global center for serving and caring for pilgrims, culturally and humanely.
420,070 workers served during Hajj 2025: Saudi statistics authority
- Over 1.6m pilgrims undertook Hajj, according to General Authority for Statistics
RIYADH: A total of 420,070 workers from the public and private sectors, including security services, worked to serve 1,673,230 pilgrims during this year’s Hajj, the General Authority for Statistics has reported.
Of the number, 92 percent were male and 8 percent female, GASTAT said in its Hajj Statistics Publication carried by the Saudi Press Agency recently.
The publication said there were 34,540 male and female volunteers at the holy sites, contributing a total of 2,134,398 volunteer hours during the Hajj season.
It also stated that 314,337 male and female pilgrims from eight countries benefited from the Makkah Route Initiative this year, representing 20.9 percent of all pilgrims.
This initiative, launched during the 2017 Hajj season, aims to streamline travel procedures for pilgrims.
GASTAT announced earlier that of this year’s 1,673,230 registered pilgrims, 1,506,576 arrived from abroad through various entry points. There were 166,654 citizens and residents who performed Hajj this year.
This year there were 877,841 male and 795,389 female pilgrims, the authority stated.
GASTAT said the statistics are based on records provided by the Ministry of Interior.
