JEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal will open the new headquarters of the Khaled bin Faisal Moderation Center at King Abdul Aziz University at the end of this week and will announce the names of those who won the center’s Moderation Award in its first season, reaching SR1 million ($266,652).
Dr. Al-Hasan Al-Manakhara, the director of the center, emphasized the importance of the role and responsibility of King Abdul Aziz University and the center’s members in promoting and spreading the culture of moderation and fighting terrorism, violence and racism in a well-studied methodological manner.
Since its establishment last year, the center has begun providing educational programs and training sessions in this field to build and enhance capacities cognitively and professionally, according to society’s demands, he added.
He noted that the prince will announce the names of winners of the Moderation Award, one of the center’s most important events this year. He also revealed that the award reached SR1 million, of which SR200,000 was distributed on short films, SR100,000 on cartoons, SR50,000 on filming, SR50,000 on digital arts, SR100,000 on quantitative statistic studies, SR150,000 on translation, SR100,000 on innovative individual initiatives, and SR150,000 on distinguished institutional initiatives.
Al-Manakhara emphasized the necessity of conducting more quality scientific studies on moderation and fighting terrorism, extremism and violence through multi-disciplinary research techniques and methods, which is considered as one of the center’s most important strategic goals.
In another matter, the Makkah governor honored a Saudi man who found a three-year-old lost child in Jeddah, and released a video of her on social media which helped her parents to find her.
Makkah governor to open new headquarters of Moderation Center
Makkah governor to open new headquarters of Moderation Center
Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations
- Company failed to provide accommodation for a number of Umrah pilgrims, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs, ministry says
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the suspension of an Umrah company and its overseas agent for failing to provide accommodation services for pilgrims in line with approved contractual programs.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said the company’s failure constitutes a clear violation of regulations governing services for Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.
It noted that a number of pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom without secured accommodation, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs.
This prompted immediate regulatory action against the company and its overseas agent under the established legal frameworks, the ministry said.
"The measures are intended to safeguard the rights of affected pilgrims, prevent a recurrence of such violations, and ensure the continued enhancement of service quality," it added.
Last June, the ministry suspended seven Umrah companies due to deficiencies in providing transport services to pilgrims.
In an earlier report quoting the Hajj Ministry and the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, SPA said more than 1.7 million Muslims from all over the world arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah during Jumada Al Akhira alone.
Also referred to as Jumada Al Thani, Jumada Al Akhira is the sixth month of the Islamic calendar. For Hijri year 1447, this sixth month ended on December 20, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar.
