The first Haj flight from Pakistan with 329 pilgrims was received at King Abdulaziz International Airport on Wednesday by Syed Khursheed Shah, federal minister for religious affairs in Pakistan; Mohammed Naeem Khan, Pakistan’s ambassador; and Abdul Salik Khan, consul general. The federal minister briefed journalists about the Haj arrangements the Pakistani government and Haj ministry had made for pilgrims this year. He said they had booked 164 buildings in Makkah to accommodate the pilgrims and made arrangements for them to use the rail transportation this year.
“We have also tried to solve the toilet problem in Mina, and the Saudi authorities informed us they had arranged 10,000 new toilet facilities. We also arranged buses,” said Shah, explaining that they hired 350 buses, of which 150 had been reserved to facilitate the shuttle service for pilgrims. He added this year they had arranged three buses instead of one and made almost 70 bus stops in Aziziah area to provide continuous shuttle services.
The government also equipped the buses with radio frequency services to get an idea of the usage of bus services and obtain data to help estimate how many buses they would need next year. “We also provide food packets on the arrival of the pilgrims and three meals in Mina throughout Haj. We will provide food and water on their travel from Makkah to Madinah without any additional charges,” said Shah.
First Haj flight arrives from Pakistan
First Haj flight arrives from Pakistan
Saudi FM joins Arab counterparts in talks with Slovenia on Gaza, regional stability
- Prince Faisal and Tanja Fajon later signed general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing ties between Kingdom and Slovenia
LJUBLJANA: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held talks with Slovenia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon in Ljubljana on Friday, as he joined Arab counterparts for an expanded meeting focused on Gaza and wider regional developments.
Prince Faisal met Fajon separately to review Saudi-Slovenian relations and explore ways to strengthen cooperation across various fields, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two sides later signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing ties between the Kingdom and Slovenia and intensifying joint efforts to support further progress and prosperity for both countries, SPA added.
The expanded ministerial meeting also brought together Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani and Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan Al-Muraikhi.
During the talks, ministers discussed ways to bolster regional and international security and stability, with a focus on the situation in Gaza.
They stressed the need to uphold the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, ensure its full implementation and deliver sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to the enclave.
The officials also reviewed efforts to advance US President Donald Trump’s peace plan and reiterated the importance of achieving a clear political horizon leading to an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution.
They addressed developments in the occupied West Bank, calling for an end to illegal, unilateral Israeli measures and violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, warning that such actions undermined de-escalation efforts.
The ministers praised Slovenia’s support for Palestinian rights and its recognition of a Palestinian state, and also discussed broader regional developments, ways to reduce escalation through dialogue, and efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
