Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders arrive in Jeddah to sign peace pact

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Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal receives Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in Jeddah on Saturday. (SPA)
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Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, arrived in Jeddah for Ethiopia/Eritrea peace summit. (SPA)
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Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, arrived in Jeddah for Ethiopia/Eritrea peace summit. (SPA)
Updated 15 September 2018
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Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders arrive in Jeddah to sign peace pact

JEDDAH: Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived in Jeddah on Saturday to sign a peace agreement between their countries.

Afwerki was received by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and Ahmed was received by Makkah Deputy Gov. Prince Abdullah bin Bandar, along with senior Saudi civil and military officials, at King Abdul Aziz International Airport.  Ahmed was also received by the Saudi Ambassador to Ethiopia Abdullah Al-Arjani and Jeddah-based Representative of the Royal Protocol in Makkah Region.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will host a summit between Ethiopia and Eritrea in Jeddah on Sunday to sign a peace agreement, officially ending more than 20 years of war.

The ceremony will be attended by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and African Union Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat.


Scouts record 45,000 volunteer hours serving pilgrims at Grand Mosque in Ramadan

Updated 52 min 59 sec ago
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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.