RIYADH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, adviser to King Salman, on Wednesday said the Kingdom has never denied access to the Grand Mosque to any Muslim wishing to perform religious rituals there.
The prince’s statement came after an iftar he held on the mosque premises for security officers tasked with helping pilgrims during the holy month of Ramadan.
A large contingent of security officers and representatives of various government and non-governmental agencies, such as maintenance companies and food suppliers, work round the clock to help local and foreign pilgrims.
“We are more than happy, and keen, to provide all services and facilities to pilgrims who wish to pray and perform religious rituals at the holy mosque,” the prince said.
“I make this annual tour as instructed by King Salman, who is keen on offering the best services to the guests who come to worship in the holy mosque.”
He said he will convey to the king the gratitude of the security men and workers at the mosque for being granted the honor of guarding it and serving pilgrims.
Prince Khaled also thanked the general presidency for the affairs of the Two Holy Mosques for its dedication and hard work in the service of pilgrims.
During Ramadan, the Grand Mosque receives some 2.5 million worshipers, local and foreign, he added.
“This would not have been possible if it had not been for the support given by the security men and the other workers who serve the pilgrims,” he said.
Before the iftar, he was briefed on the security and service plans in place for the last 10 days of Ramadan in the mosque.
Millions of pilgrims from around the world come annually to perform Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage) and attend prayers at the Grand Mosque during Ramadan.
The security detail on duty in and around the mosque can speak various languages, including English, Urdu, French and Persian, to communicate with visitors. Some even know sign language, a security officer said.
Apart from crowd control, security officers offer humanitarian services and organize the movement of worshipers between the western and northern gates of the mosque before and after each prayer.
Makkah governor: No Muslims prevented from worshiping at Grand Mosque
Makkah governor: No Muslims prevented from worshiping at Grand Mosque
SDAIA president says Saudi Arabia is building an integrated AI ecosystem
RIYADH: Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi says that Saudi Arabia is moving steadily to establish artificial intelligence as a trusted national capability, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Guided by the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, Al-Ghamdi said the goal is to use AI to help develop government services, enhance competitiveness, build human capacity and improve quality of life through a comprehensive strategy based on three main pillars that unlock the potential of this technology and achieve sustainable developmental impact.
“The first pillar focuses on building human capacity and enhancing readiness to engage with AI technologies,” he said.
The second pillar is building an integrated national AI ecosystem that drives expansion and innovation by developing advanced digital infrastructure that enables various sectors to adopt AI applications efficiently, consistently and with effective governance, Al-Ghamdi said.
The third pillar, he said, is governance that ensures responsible and measurable AI through a national framework aligned with international standards.
This came during Al-Ghamdi’s speech at a high-level ministerial session held on Thursday on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
He is heading the Saudi delegation, and the session saw broad participation from heads of state, decision-makers and technology leaders from around the world.
Al-Ghamdi also had a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening, discussed AI cooperation and expressed his gratitude for hosting the summit and for the hospitality extended to the participants.
