RIYADH: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri met Saudi King Salman on Wednesday, in his first visit back to the country since he announced his resignation in the kingdom.
Hariri announced on November 4 that he was stepping down in a televised address from Riyadh, only to rescind it the following month after France intervened.
Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA said Hariri and King Salman discussed “bilateral relations and recent developments in Lebanon.”
It published pictures of the two leaders locked in a firm handshake.
He is also due to hold talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose impact on the kingdom’s policies has steadily expanded since his appointment as heir to the throne in June.
His visit comes after a meeting Monday in Beirut with Saudi envoy Nizar Al-Alula during which Hariri said he received and accepted an invitation to travel to Riyadh.
Alula also met with President Michel Aoun, who told him of Lebanon’s desire to “maintain the best relations” with the Gulf state.
Lebanon will hold legislative elections on May 6, the country’s first since 2009.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman meets Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman meets Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri
Scouts record 45,000 volunteer hours serving pilgrims at Grand Mosque in Ramadan
- Volunteers guide pilgrims, organize prayers areas, distribute water
- 600 young men and women scouts will work until end of Ramadan
RIYADH: Volunteers participating in the Umrah service camp supervised by the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association at the Grand Mosque in Makkah have contributed over 45,000 hours during the first half of Ramadan.
Six-hundred young men and women scouts, representing various teams across the Kingdom, participated in the camp’s activities, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
They helped to guide pilgrims, organize prayer areas, support security and service personnel, care for children, and provide water and fragrances in the Grand Mosque and its courtyards.
The scouts supported the General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques and the public security sectors.
Three-hundred scouts participated in guidance and orientation with 22,500 hours, while 180 scouts assisted with public security services for 13,500 hours.
Sixty scouts who participated in the organization of prayer areas recorded 4,500 volunteer hours.
Additionally, 30 scouts participated in the Little Pilgrim Initiative, which focuses on caring for the children of pilgrims while their parents perform Umrah, contributing 2,250 hours.
In support services, 15 scouts participated in the water distribution initiative, contributing 675 hours.
Another 15 scouts contributed to the fragrance distribution initiative in the corridors and courtyards of the Grand Mosque, achieving 1,125 hours.
Camp leader Ziyad Qadir said the services of the scouts would continue until the end of Ramadan. He said the camps develop a sense of social responsibility and national belonging among young people.
