Over 69,000 pilgrims arrive at Jeddah airport

Pakistani Muslims wait to pass security as the first pilgrims for the annual Hajj pilgrimage arrive in Jeddah on July 24, 2017. / AFP / Amer HILABI
Updated 04 August 2017
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Over 69,000 pilgrims arrive at Jeddah airport

JEDDAH: More than 69,000 pilgrims have arrived at Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport, via 394 flights, since the start of the Hajj season, 4.3 percent more than last year.

The capacity of the airport’s Hajj and Umrah Complex is 3,800 passengers per hour, with 320 counters to complete procedures in a timely manner.

In Madinah, 164,136 pilgrims have arrived so far. According to statistics from the National Pilgrim Guides Foundation, 10,957 pilgrims have left the city while 153,179 remain.

Makkah’s Jamarat complex to be cooled by 750 water-spray fans

The Makkah Region Development Authority has begun implementing a cooling project in the western area of the Jamarat complex, as well as the Jamarat-Mina road, with 750 water-spray fans.

The project covers an area more than 10,000 meters long with water-spray fans supplied via two main stations. 

The spray-fans, along with other cooling ventilation methods, will operate throughout the Hajj season to give pilgrims respite from the heat.


Saudi and New Zealand foreign ministers discussed Mideast situation

Updated 10 March 2026
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Saudi and New Zealand foreign ministers discussed Mideast situation

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the current situation in the Middle East with New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Peters expressed New Zealand’s condemnation of Iran’s indiscriminate attacks on the Kingdom and thanked Riyadh for its efforts to protect foreign nationals, including New Zealanders inside the Kingdom.
The Saudi military has shot down numerous missiles and drones fired by Tehran toward the Kingdom since the US and Israel began a large-scale military campaign against Iran on Feb. 28.
The Saudi Defense Ministry said early Tuesday that it had shot down a ballistic missile in the Eastern Province after knocking out several drones targeting the Shaybah oil field in the Empty quarter on Friday evening.