JEDDAH: Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Saudi Arabia’s minister of Hajj and Umrah, on Tuesday briefed Hissein Brahim Taha, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, on the work the Kingdom has been doing to prepare for this year’s Hajj season and the new and enhanced services and infrastructure that are in place.
The Saudi minister highlighted many initiatives that have been introduced and steps that have been taken to ensure the best possible conditions and services to help pilgrims perform their rituals with ease and in safety.
“The Hajj and Umrah system witnessed a series of great successes in which all organizational services, and health, logistical and security agencies participated,” said Al-Rabiah.
“King Salman inaugurated the Guests of God Service Program as one of the most important programs of the Saudi Vision 2030, with the aim of raising the level of quality and efficiency of services for pilgrims and enriching their experience.”
Taha said: “Saudi Arabia is honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of being the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques and serving the pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
“The country is committed to overcoming all obstacles and utilizing its resources, skills and workforce to ensure the success of the Hajj season every year and provide a unique spiritual journey for the pilgrims while prioritizing their health and safety.”
Al-Rabiah provided details of a number of major projects that have been implemented to better serve pilgrims and deliver an enriching spiritual experience. They included the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the largest mosque in the world, at a cost of more than SR200 billion ($53 billion); the Haramain High-Speed Railway, which cost an estimated SR60 billion and has improved the experience of pilgrims by cutting the travel time between Makkah and Madinah to about two hours; improvements to King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah at a cost of more than SR64 billion; and the development of historical mosques and Islamic archaeological sites.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom has taken steps to encourage greater competition between Hajj service providers, which has helped to reduce costs for pilgrims and improved the quality of services, the minister added. As a result, the cost of insurance for Umrah performers has fallen by 63 percent and for pilgrims by 73 percent, without affecting the sustainability or quality of health services, he said.
Also present during the meeting, which took place at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, were Abdul Fattah Mashat, the deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah, and delegates and other representatives of the organization’s member states and subsidiary organizations.
Other recent initiatives launched by the Kingdom including a process for issuing visas within 24 hours; extension of the validity of an Umrah visa from 30 to 90 days; and the introduction of a four-day transit visa that allows holders of all types of visa to perform Umrah and move easily through the Kingdom to explore its unique cultural diversity.
In addition, Saudi authorities introduced the Nusuk digital platform last year, which offers more than 120 services in nine languages to help pilgrims plan and organize their visits to the Kingdom.
Dya-Eddine Bamakhrama, the ambassador of Djibouti to Saudi Arabia and a permanent representative to the OIC, told Arab News after the meeting: “The minister of Hajj and Umrah is a global minister because Hajj is highly significant to all Islamic countries.
“The Kingdom has provided, since the dawn of its founding at the hands of King Abdulaziz and until the current era, services and expansions for the Two Holy Mosques and the holy sites, and has secured the arrival of pilgrims, visitors and worshipers to the holy sites to perform their rituals with security, peace and tranquility, and it still provides a lot.”
The number of pilgrims attending Hajj will return to prepandemic levels this year, with 2 million Muslims from around the world expected to participate, according to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Numbers were greatly restricted in 2020 and 2021, and last year 1 million visas were issued as services began to return to normal.
Ali Dieye, Niger’s ambassador to the Kingdom, told Arab News that more than 16,000 pilgrims from his country will visit Saudi Arabia this year to perform Hajj.
“Almost 45 percent of them have arrived in the Kingdom and the rest are coming,” he said, as he praised authorities for their “tremendous” efforts to improve the Hajj experience.
Yahya Lawal, Nigeria’s ambassador, that the total number of people from his country participating in Hajj this season is “100,000 pilgrims and we need more (places) — there are many, many people who wanted to come but they have not got the slots for this year Hajj.”
Saudi minister highlights Kingdom’s efforts to improve Hajj experience for pilgrims
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Saudi minister highlights Kingdom’s efforts to improve Hajj experience for pilgrims
- Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah, briefs Organization of Islamic Cooperation on preparations and new and improved services and infrastructure
- Pilgrim numbers will return to prepandemic levels this year, with 2 million expected; numbers were greatly restricted in 2020 and 2021, and last year 1 million visas were issued
Saudi FM meets US envoy to discuss developments in Lebanon
- Explored collaborative efforts to address challenges facing Lebanese people and in broader region
RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Amos Hochstein, the US Special Envoy to Lebanon, on Sunday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Riyadh.
The meeting focused on regional issues, with particular attention given to the situation in Lebanon, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Both sides exchanged views on recent developments and explored collaborative efforts to address the challenges facing the Lebanese people and the broader region, SPA added.
Also in attendance was Prince Yazid bin Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Farhan, advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Lebanese Affairs, who contributed to the discussions.
Saudi leadership offers condolences after death of Jordan’s Princess Majda
- Princess Majda passed away in Amman on Jan. 3, the Royal Hashemite Court said
- Swedish-born princess was born Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind and became known as Princess Majda after her marriage.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent cables of condolences to the king of Jordan after the passing of Princess Majda Raad, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Jordan’s King Abdullah attended the funeral of Princess Majda, the wife of Prince Raad bin Zeid, at the Royal Cemetery on Friday, The Jordan Times reported.
Princess Majda passed away in Amman on Jan. 3, the Royal Hashemite Court said. The Swedish-born princess was born Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind and became known as Princess Majda after her marriage.
New community initiative brings Saudi artisans together for ‘Year of Handicrafts’
- Workshops held for aspiring artisans and crafters
- Events will be held throughout the year
RIYADH: The Royal Institute for Traditional Arts launched a new community initiative on Saturday with a packed day of workshops and discussions with inspiring figures in the handicrafts field.
As 2025 kicks off with the Ministry of Culture labeling it the “Year of Handicrafts,” TRITA aims to bring a sense of camaraderie to artisans and aspiring crafters with its “Wrth Community,” which will host several events through the year.
Nermeen Al-Naimi, an artisan at TRITA, told Arab News: “Today, the community of Wrth started, so that’s very good for artisans because we are looking for somewhere we can belong.
“Wrth is the place we belong now with this community, it’s more like a second house for us because we exchange experiences, we exchange techniques and tools and stuff like that. It’s a growing kind of family, so we’re happy that they made this step today, and we’re grateful.”
(AN photos by Abdulrhman Bin Shalhoub)
The six-hour event brought artisans at various levels and from various crafts together for a day of engagement through workshops on traditional crafting with wood, metals, clay, and stones.
Silversmiths Ayat Dhahi and Revan Abdulsabour shared their expertise on sculpting and formation, from design to implementation, while others, such as sculptor Helwa Al-Atawi, shared success stories of turning a passion into a career.
Jewelry designer Rughad Al-Hogail weighed in with her entrepreneurial experience of taking local crafts to international markets.
Al-Naimi is an instructor for jewelry manufacture and design, but came to the inaugural Wrth event as a student, signing up for a wood-carving workshop that allows participants to identify the types of traditional engravings in the Najd region, and producing a wooden coaster using the technique with a copper inlay.
“I decided to go back to wood because I did clay before, and I did metals before, so I wanted to incorporate wood in my designs …
“It has metal in it, so, the experience was amazing because I use metal combined with wood, combined with a little bit of this technique.”
Other workshops explored traditional engraving methods, their use in the manufacture of innovative products, and employing traditional engravings in contemporary art.
Al-Naimi works as a personal branding consultant, and part of her job is to help individuals realize their hopes and connect with ways to energize themselves.
“One of the things that makes me happy is working with my hands. So working with metal, with wood, it’s all a stress relief. Plus you make something beautiful.”
Al-Naimi joined TRITA about two years ago, working with metals, but quickly found that it was more than just a space to create.
“Here at the Royal Institute, it’s support all the way — for the trainers, for the products; they have an online store now,” she said. Here students’ creations are up for sale at the physical location and online, creating profitable opportunities for aspiring and established artisans.
Wrth Community aims to lead the revival and development handicrafts, linking them to modern design and technology, enhancing the participation of institutions and the local community to highlight the importance of traditional arts in defining cultural identity, while also equipping people with ways to create traditional arts in today’s market.
Wrth Community provides opportunities for artisans to meet, exchange knowledge and enhance personal and professional skills with a focus on education, crafts, entrepreneurship, and dialogue sessions. By creating a supportive environment, TRITA hopes to stimulate talent and creative individuals to learn and practice traditional arts and crafts.
TRITA is a pioneering organization that highlights the national identity and enriches Saudi traditional arts locally and globally, promoting them and recognizing pioneers in the fields of traditional arts. This contributes to the preservation of traditional arts by supporting national capabilities and talents while encouraging those interested in learning, mastering and developing them.
KSrelief and UNHCR officials discuss enhanced humanitarian support in Syria
- An estimated 6.8 million Syrians remain displaced within the country, while more than 5.5 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries
DAMASCUS: Officials from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees met in Damascus on Sunday to discuss coordinated efforts to assist the Syrian people, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The meeting, focused on bolstering humanitarian and relief operations in the region, was attended by Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Harees, charge d’affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Syria.
During the discussions, UNHCR officials praised their strategic partnership with KSrelief, highlighting the importance of their joint initiatives to support refugees and displaced persons in Syria.
Both parties also reiterated their commitment to ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to essential resources and services to live with dignity.
The humanitarian crisis in Syria remains one of the most pressing in the world, especially after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in December of last year, following over a decade of civil war.
Assad’s ouster came after years of intensified international sanctions and a lightning offensive across key cities by opposition militias, culminating in his government’s collapse.
An estimated 6.8 million Syrians remain displaced within the country, while more than 5.5 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries such as Turkiye, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Humanitarian organizations like KSrelief and UNHCR play a crucial role in addressing these challenges, providing essential aid such as food, shelter, and medical care.
In Syria, UNHCR has been a critical player in responding to the humanitarian crisis, assisting the millions of displaced Syrians and advocating for sustainable solutions to their plight. Its collaboration with partners such as KSrelief has been key to addressing the evolving needs of those affected by the conflict.
On Sunday, Fadi Al-Qasim, the Syrian Minister of Administrative Development in the transitional government, met with the KSrelief team in Damascus in the presence of Al-Harees.
During the meeting, they discussed strategies for delivering relief aid to support the Syrian people and civil society.
Al-Qasim expressed his gratitude to the KSrelief team for their generous assistance and praised the urgent humanitarian aid provided by Saudi Arabia to Syria.
Saudi minister receives British ambassador to Riyadh
- They discussed bilateral relations and various topics of common interest
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati received UK Ambassador to the Kingdom Neil Crompton in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and various topics of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Ahmed Farooq signed the condolence book honoring the life and legacy of former US President Jimmy Carter, the Embassy of Pakistan wrote on X on Sunday.
