Guests of Umrah program visit cultural district in Makkah

The visitors expressed their appreciation of the exhibition’s content and the Kingdom’s efforts. (SPA)
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Updated 13 January 2024
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Guests of Umrah program visit cultural district in Makkah

  • The tour was part of a cultural program prepared by the ministry to enhance the experience of visitors and pilgrims

RIYADH: Beneficiaries of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj and Umrah, which is supervised by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, recently had the opportunity to visit the Hira Cultural District in Makkah.

The tour was part of a cultural program prepared by the ministry to enhance the experience of visitors and pilgrims during their stay in Makkah and Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The guests visited the Revelation Exhibition, which features models of the Cave of Hira and a film telling the story of Prophet Muhammad’s revelation.

The visitors expressed their appreciation of the exhibition’s content and the Kingdom’s efforts to enrich the religious and cultural experience of visitors.

Some guests had the opportunity to visit the Kiswa Factory of the Holy Kaaba in Makkah’s King Abdulaziz Complex where they observed the manufacturing stages of the kiswa, gaining firsthand insight into the process while also taking part in weaving the fabric for the new covering of the Kaaba.

The pilgrims also performed Friday Prayer at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. They expressed their appreciation and gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the excellent services provided to them and commended the exceptional services they received in Makkah after completing their Umrah rituals and visiting the holy sites.

This group of 250 pilgrims is the 15th to participate in the program initiated by King Salman. It included visitors from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Hong Kong, Japan, Brunei, Thailand, South Korea, Cambodia, and Mongolia.


Saudi defense minister calls on Southern Transitional Council to de-escalate in Yemen

Updated 27 December 2025
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Saudi defense minister calls on Southern Transitional Council to de-escalate in Yemen

  • In a statement addressed “to our people in Yemen” and published on X, Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia’s intervention came at the request of Yemen’s internationally recognized government

DUBAI: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman called on the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to respond to Saudi-Emirati mediation efforts and de-escalate tensions in eastern Yemen, urging the group to withdraw its forces from camps in Hadramout and Al-Mahra and hand them over peacefully to local authorities.
In a statement addressed “to our people in Yemen” and published on X, Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia’s intervention came at the request of Yemen’s internationally recognized government and aimed to restore state authority across the country through the Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope operations.
He said the Kingdom has consistently treated the southern issue as a “just political cause” that must be resolved through dialogue and consensus, citing the Riyadh Conference and Riyadh Agreement as frameworks that ensured southern participation in governance and rejected the use of force.
The minister warned that recent events in Hadramout and Al-Mahra since early December had caused divisions that undermine the fight against Yemen’s common enemy and harm the southern cause. He praised southern leaders and groups who, he said, have acted responsibly to support de-escalation and preserve social stability.
Prince Khalid reaffirmed that the southern issue would remain part of any comprehensive political settlement in Yemen and stressed that it must be resolved through trust-building and national consensus, not actions that could fuel further conflict.