RIYADH/JEDDAH: Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mohammed Salih Bentin on Thursday received Somali Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs Iman Abdullah Ali and his accompanying delegation in Jeddah.
Bentin discussed strong bilateral relations and topics related to Somali pilgrims, briefing Ali on Saudi efforts to take care of pilgrims and new services launched by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah this year. Ali praised those efforts.
Meanwhile, the ministry said local and foreign pilgrims who wish to perform Hajj this year should be vaccinated against meningitis and seasonal flu.
The ministry also urged pilgrims to commit to other requirements specified for their respective countries.
A list of requirements for those coming for Hajj and Umrah was circulated to Saudi embassies in all countries before they began granting pilgrimage visas for this year.
The ministry’s command and control center follows international and local health situations, and reviews and updates health requirements when necessary.
Over 127,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims expected this year
A total of 127,198 pilgrims is expected from Bangladesh this year, an increase of 11,000 over last year, Ambassador Golam Moshi said after receiving the first pilgrims from his country in Makkah.
“During the past three days, we have received 10,471 pilgrims who are now performing their rituals in Makkah,” he told Arab News.
Pilgrims are being ferried to the holy city on 28 flights operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines and Biman Airlines, the national carrier of Bangladesh, he added.
A group of government officials, including a medical team, has already arrived to assist pilgrims during their stay in the two holy cities, Moshi said.
Bangladesh consulate officials in Jeddah and officers from the Bangladesh Hajj office in Makkah will be available to help existing staff serve pilgrims.
Indonesian Hajj committee gears up for arrivals
The Hajj affairs section of the Indonesian consulate in Jeddah is gearing up for the arrival of the country’s pilgrims.
This year, as many as 221,000 Indonesian pilgrims will perform Hajj. They will come via 508 flights, and will be transported from 12 embarkation points in Indonesia to the airports of Madinah and Jeddah.
The first batch of 393 pilgrims is scheduled to touch down at Madinah’s Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz International Airport on Friday.
As many as 730 Hajj personnel and officers from Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Ministry, and 174 from the Health Ministry, will assist the pilgrims.
Indonesian Consul General Mohammed Hery Saripudin reminded the personnel that they had been entrusted with a noble task to serve pilgrims, so they should perform the task professionally and with responsibility and passion.
Hajj minister, Somali counterpart hold talks in Jeddah
Hajj minister, Somali counterpart hold talks in Jeddah
Saudi House kicks off Davos with push on Vision 2030, AI platform and ‘humanizing’ tourism
- Saudi ministers dominate pre-summit spotlight at Saudi pavilion, touting Vision 2030’s next phase and human capital as key to global edge
- Ministry of Economy and Planning announced the SUSTAIN Platform which aims to accelerate AI-enabled, cross-sector collaboration for sustainable development
DAVOS: For regulars at the World Economic Forum, Monday in Davos is usually a chance to ease into the week, a time to reconnect, plan meetings and prepare for the intense schedule ahead.
This year, Saudi Arabia moved quickly to fill that lull, taking center stage with a packed program of panels ahead of Tuesday’s official opening.
At the Saudi House — the Kingdom’s official pavilion on the Promenade, returning after its debut as a standalone venue at the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting — Saudi ministers and global executives set out how the Kingdom sees the next phase of its transformation.
Established by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the venue is pitched as a platform for international thought leaders to tackle the challenges, opportunities and solutions shaping the global economy.
Opening a session on the Kingdom’s role at this year’s Forum and the next phase of Vision 2030 — now in its 10th year and roughly two-thirds complete — Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, said human capital “is the actual driver if you want a competitive, modern economy.”
She described one of the biggest achievements of the past decade as the emergence of a highly qualified cohort of young Saudis who could work anywhere in the world but “choose to come home, choose to build at home and choose to deliver at home,” calling this “the biggest symbol of the success of Vision 2030.”
Who can give you optimum access to opportunities while addressing risks? I contend that Saudi Arabia has been able to provide that formula.
Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of investment
On the same panel, Minister of Finance Mohammed Aljadaan said this success is rooted in a “behavioral change” that has strengthened the Kingdom’s credibility with both international partners and its own citizens.
“Credibility comes from being very pragmatic, making sure that you maintain your fiscal policy discipline, but at the same time refocus your resources where it matters,” he said, warning that “markets will call your bluff if you’re not serious.”
The Saudi House, a cross-ministerial initiative led by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, is intended to underscore the Kingdom’s “commitment to global cooperation” by offering “a platform where visionary ideas are shared and shaped,” while showcasing opportunities and lessons from its “unprecedented national transformation.”
Echoing earlier comments to Arab News, Economy and Planning Minister Faisal Alibrahim said the Kingdom’s role as an anchor of stability has helped unlock its potential, stressing that while the objective is to decouple from reliance on a single commodity, “2030 is not the finishing line.”
Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of investment, said Saudi Arabia has been able to enable access to opportunities while addressing major risks, arguing that few countries can match the Kingdom’s overall mix.
“No country has all of those to 100 percent,” he said. “But who can give you the mix that gives you optimum access to opportunities while addressing all of those risks?
“I contend that Saudi Arabia has been able to provide that formula and the proof is in the pudding,” noting that local investment has doubled in recent years to reach levels comparable with India and China.
While societal transformation dominated the morning discussions, the afternoon turned to technology, tourism, sport and culture, four strategic sectors expected to spearhead Vision 2030’s next phase.
The Ministry of Economy and Planning used the day to announce the SUSTAIN Platform, due to launch in 2026, which aims to accelerate AI-enabled, cross-sector collaboration for sustainable development.
The ministry said SUSTAIN will translate the Kingdom’s public and private-sector coordination mandate into a practical national tool to help government entities, businesses, investors, academia and civil society identify credible partners, form trusted coalitions and move initiatives “from planning to implementation more efficiently,” addressing a global challenge where fragmented partnerships often slow delivery and blunt impact.
“We are in a moment in time where technology may well impact the face of humanity,” said Dina Powell McCormick, recently appointed president and vice chairman of Meta, welcoming the Kingdom’s “desire” to partner with technology companies and its embrace of innovation.
Minister of Tourism Ahmed Alkhateeb, discussing how technology is being deployed in his sector, underlined that “in travel and tourism, people are very important. We learn about other people’s culture through interacting with people. We digitalize the unnecessary and humanize the necessary.”
He added that while technological transformation is a priority, “we don’t want to replace this big workforce with technology. I think we need to protect them in Saudi Arabia, where we’re being a model. I’m an advocate of keeping the people.”
Throughout the week, Saudi House will host more than 20 sessions, including over 10 accredited by the WEF, across six themes: Bold Vision, Insights for Impact, People and Human Capability, Quality of Life, Investment and Collaboration, and Welcoming the World.
The pavilion will also launch “NextOn,” a new series of influential and educational talks featuring leading global voices.
