Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has urged people the world over to confront those who try to abuse divine religions and prophets of God.
Addressing princes, ministers, religious scholars and other citizens who came to greet him at Taiba Palace on Tuesday night, King Abdullah urged Muslims to defend their Islamic faith and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
He congratulated Saudis on the occasion of the National Day, marking the unification of the Kingdom by King Abdul Aziz and emphasized the unity and solidarity of Saudi people.
In his brief speech, King Abdullah described Islam as a religion that promotes tolerance, mercy and equality. Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, attended the reception.
King Abdullah arrived on Monday from Casablanca after spending a month-long vacation in the Moroccan city. He laid the foundation for the largest expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque soon after his arrival.
Speaking at the reception, Muhammad Al-Oqla, president of Madinah Islamic University, highlighted the efforts of King Abdullah and other Saudi leaders in enhancing the progress and prosperity of the country’s people and expanding the two holy mosques.
He praised the king for visiting Madinah and commended his humanitarian endeavors benefiting people in different parts of the world. “You have made Saudi Arabia one of the most stable countries in the world and one that is the least affected by the global economic crisis.”
Meanwhile, intellectuals in Madinah said King Abdullah’s arrival in the Prophet’s city after concluding his private vacation in Morocco was a symbolic reply to those who try to tarnish the image of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They also noted the king’s efforts to promote dialogue between the followers of different cultures and faiths.
In a related development, Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah inaugurated a number of educational projects in Madinah, including a museum, the new education department building, a scouts training center and a planetarium. The minister also visited the District Club at Imam Ali bin Abitaleb School in the city.
Also yesterday, Madinah Mayor Khaled Taher said the new expansion project launched by King Abdullah would triple the capacity of the Prophet’s Mosque. “The king has ordered the completion of the project within two years,” the mayor said. “Earlier, we had planned to implement it in three phases but the king wanted it in one phase.” He said the new project would also expand the mosque’s public utility services.
King: Stop abusing religions, prophets
King: Stop abusing religions, prophets
Saudi Arabia champions AI and sustainable growth at UN tourism meeting in Kuwait
- Saudi Tourism Minister says tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy, contributing about $10 trillion to global GDP
KUWAIT CITY: Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb has called for stronger international cooperation to build a tourism ecosystem that is integrated, resilient, and future-ready, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.
In a opening address at the 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East in Kuwait City, he noted that tourism is “no longer a peripheral activity but a massive engine of economic development.”
“With an estimated contribution exceeding $10 trillion to global GDP, tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy,” said Al-Khateeb, speaking as president of the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly. The three-day conference opened on Feb. 10 a.
He pointed to the Middle East’s exceptional recovery, which recorded a 39 percent increase in international arrivals in 2025 compared to 2019, welcoming nearly 100 million visitors last year.
The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s driving force behind these regional statistics, noting that the Kingdom now represents approximately 30% of the Middle East tourism market in both visitor numbers and spending.
“We are proud that Saudi tourism’s uninterrupted growth has become a driving force for regional tourism, and we look forward to continuing our close cooperation with UN Tourism to share our expertise with the world,” he said.
Focus on AI
Addressing the meeting’s central theme of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Al-Khateeb emphasized the need for responsible innovation. He described AI as a key enabler for growth but stressed that the “human touch” defining the hospitality sector must be maintained and the workforce protected.
On the sidelines of the regional commission, the minister met with counterparts from across the region to explore ways to promote regional cooperation and alignment to enhance resilience and build tourism industries that can drive inclusive economic and social development.
Al-Khateeb also met with leading investors from Kuwait to discuss investments in the Kingdom’s tourism sector and explore new opportunities to leverage Saudi Arabia’s integrated investment ecosystem, designed to enable regional and international investors to achieve sustainable, long-term value.
The 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East is the first held in the region since the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly, hosted in Riyadh last November.
That assembly resulted in the historic “Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism,” which established a global consensus on sustainability, inclusive growth, and the responsible adoption of human-centric AI for the next fifty years.
