During the season of Ramadan, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is considered to be at its second busiest apart from the Hajj season, as many residents and visitors perform Umrah during this sacred time.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s continued efforts are evident with the smooth progress of pilgrims through Makkah.

A royal decree appointed Mohammed Salih Bentin as Minister for Hajj and Umrah on May 9, 2016 and he has been serving in the role ever since.

Bentin has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, where he graduated in 1979. In 1982, he received his master’s degree and later moved to the US to earn his doctorate in computer engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1989.

After returning to Saudi Arabia he was appointed dean of the faculty of sciences and computer engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in 1997. Despite his busy schedule, he managed to publish 100 research papers and write scientific reports for several international scientific organizations, and participated in local and global conferences and seminars.

Bentin was awarded the Best Technical Director Award in the Middle East in 2002, and received the award for Best Executive Director in the Middle East in 2008. He has achieved much scientifically, in both practical and applied sciences, and is a member of several scientific societies, acting as a scholarly contributor to scientific journals locally and internationally.

Before this he served as deputy minister of Hajj in 1998, and in the same year was nominated to be Umrah affairs deputy. He served pilgrims and provided them with required facilities until he became responsible for the Saudi Postal Corporation in 2004.