95-year-old Indonesian man invited by King Salman arrives for Hajj

Samri, who is believed to be the oldest person to ever perform Hajj, was welcomed by a number of Saudi officials. (SPA)
Updated 31 July 2019
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95-year-old Indonesian man invited by King Salman arrives for Hajj

JEDDAH: A 95-year-old Indonesian man invited to perform Hajj by King Salman arrived in the Kingdom Wednesday to perform Hajj in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Ohi Aidros Samri arrived at the King Abdulaziz International Airport with his family of six. He is being hosted by the King Salman’s Hajj and Umrah Guests Program to perform Hajj rituals this year after receiving the royal invitation.

The invite came after a video message of himself and his two daughters — holding the king’s photograph while pleading in Arabic their wish to go to Hajj in spite of their family’s limited funds— went viral and was reported to have reached Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Samri was welcomed by a number of Saudi officials on his arrival.

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RELATED: Indonesian pilgrim, 95, heads for Hajj after King Salman invite

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The oldest person to previously perform Hajj was 104-year-old Ibu Mariah Marghani Muhammad from Indonesia. She made her pilgrimage in 2017.


Saudi Red Crescent Authority to establish fund for emergency services

Updated 12 sec ago
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Saudi Red Crescent Authority to establish fund for emergency services

  • Strategic partnership aimed at supporting and sustaining medical services in the Kingdom through the establishment of an emergency fund
  • Initiative seeks to enhance the readiness of the medical system and raise the efficiency of responses to emergencies

RIYADH: The Saudi Red Crescent Authority has signed a cooperation agreement with the Health Endowment Fund to launch a strategic partnership aimed at supporting and sustaining medical services in the Kingdom through the establishment of an emergency fund.

The initiative seeks to enhance the readiness of the medical system and raise the efficiency of responses to emergencies, within a framework of institutional integration that aligns with goals to improve healthcare sector performance and save lives.

The agreement stipulates the establishment of a fund dedicated to financing emergency medical activities and services, and enabling the collection of endowment and non-endowment donations to support the work, in accordance with approved regulatory and Sharia frameworks. This will help boost the long-term operational readiness of emergency services.

The partnership aims to direct the fund’s returns toward supporting priority critical response programs and enhancing the efficiency of handling emergency cases, resulting in faster response times and improved service quality, ultimately contributing to saving lives.