A view of Makkah in Ramadan from the sky

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Photo showing a view of the Grand Mosque and Haram in Makkah, May 2018. (SPA)
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Photo showing a view of the Grand Mosque and Haram in Makkah, May 2018. (SPA)
Updated 30 May 2018
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A view of Makkah in Ramadan from the sky

JEDDAH: Makkah’s Grand Mosque and the Haram are seen from the sky in a new set of photos published by the Saudi Press Agency. 

The agency’s photographer joined a police helicopter on patrol over Islam’s holiest city of Makkah which was monitoring the smooth flow of Umrah pilgrims in and out of the Grand Mosque. 

The result are several breathtaking pictures of the holy sites as seen from the sky at 1,000 feet high. 

Annually more than 10 million Saudi Arabians and non-Saudis moslem visit Makkah to perform Umrah during Ramadan. 

The Saudi Arabian General Statistics Authority recently published figures showing more than 19 million performed Hajj and Umrah in 2017.


Saudi Cabinet reviews cooperation and agreements with other nations

Updated 25 February 2026
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Saudi Cabinet reviews cooperation and agreements with other nations

  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs meeting and briefs ministers on his recent meeting with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
  • Cooperative efforts includes projects focusing on development and education, political consultations, environmental protection, health, investment and air transport

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers reviewed a number of domestic and international matters during a session in Jeddah on Tuesday chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The crown prince briefed the Cabinet on his recent meeting with the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, which included discussions about regional security and stability, the latest developments in the Middle East, and other topics of importance to the Arab and Islamic world, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He also shared with ministers the contents of a letter he received from the president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The council discussed progress in cooperative efforts involving Saudi Arabia and other countries including Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Estonia, Cuba and Kiribati, and approved a number of memorandums of understanding.

The cooperation includes projects focusing on development and education, political consultations, environmental protection, health, investment and air-transport services, the press agency said. Ministers also approved an agreement between the Saudi General Authority for Awqaf and its Omani counterpart relating to endowments.

They reviewed national initiatives, including one for the promotion of charitable work, and the enhancement of humanitarian and developmental efforts across the country.

A merger of the National Competitiveness Center with the Saudi Center for Economic Business to create a combined Saudi Competitiveness and Business Center was authorized.