Author: Editorial Team
RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman conveyed the condolences of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to the family members of the late former Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. During a meeting with the family in Riyadh on Saturday, Prince Khalid expressed his deepest condolences to the deceased’s family and to the Republic of Yemen, its leadership, and people. The minister praised the late president’s leadership and his dedication to the security, stability, development, and prosperity of Yemen. Prince Khalid prayed to God Almighty to…
Pilgrims flocked to the Grand Mosque today to perform the Farewell Tawaf, concluding their Hajj rituals and completing the fifth pillar of Islam. The Grand Mosque and its courtyards experienced a highly structured, smooth flow of pedestrian traffic, driven by advanced crowd management models and mapped transit routes inside the Mataf, the Sa’i area, and primary corridors. Following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Farewell Tawaf serves as the definitive final ritual before leaving Makkah. Upon its completion, waves of international pilgrims began departing for their home countries, marking the successful close of a peaceful, secure, and coordinated…
JEDDAH — The Passports Department at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah has swung into action in processing the departure procedures for the outbound flights of pilgrims returning home after completing their Hajj rituals. The General Directorate of Passports confirmed its peak operational readiness across all of the Kingdom’s land, air, and sea ports to handle the post-Hajj departure phase. It urged all international pilgrims to strictly adhere to their scheduled travel times. The directorate confirmed its full readiness to process departing pilgrims across all of the Kingdom’s international air, land, and sea ports, facilitating their smooth return home after…
MAKKAH — Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif said that the security situation during Hajj 2026 was stable and no incidents disrupting the Hajj or compromising the safety of the pilgrims happened. He attributed this to complete discipline of pilgrims and close monitoring of the pilgrims’ conditions, movements, and accommodations by the concerned authorities. The interior minister made the remarks in cables of greetings sent to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on the occasion of the Eid Al-Adha…
The National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) in Madinah has heightened its preparedness as pilgrims return from the holy sites after performing Hajj rituals, through an inspection plan targeting high-density areas and facilities with significant environmental impact in the city and along access roads. NCEC Madinah branch Director Sultan Al-Zahrani stated that inspection efforts during the 1447 AH Hajj season included 550 inspection tours conducted before, during, and after the season. He noted that the tours revealed a high overall level of compliance, except for 63 non-compliant cases that were addressed in accordance with applicable regulations to mitigate their environmental…
TEHRAN — Iranian authorities are preparing for a “grand” funeral for slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, official media reported Friday, nearly three months after his death in the initial wave of US-Israeli bombings that triggered the region to the war. The ceremony, which had been planned for shortly after his death, was frequently postponed due to the fighting and increased security concerns. Though the timing was still uncertain, “a special headquarters has been formed to prepare for the funeral ceremony, and various agencies are currently planning and making arrangements,” state TV reported, citing Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of the Tehran…
BERLIN — The German government on Friday expressed “concern” over Israeli plans to expand control in Gaza, saying it would complicate humanitarian aid efforts for Palestinians living in the war-ravaged territory. “We view these announcements and the reports about them with concern, and if this were to happen, it would complicate our efforts—particularly the provision of further vital humanitarian aid, especially for the population,” Germany’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer told journalists in Berlin. Deschauer also said Germany opposes any permanent division of the Palestinian territory. “You also know that it is the position of the federal government and the…
Abu Dhabi’s largest indoor summer sports event returns on June 6, with the fifth edition of Abu Dhabi Summer Sports (ADSS) running through August 19 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. The Al Ain edition opens simultaneously for its fourth year. Organised by ADNEC Group, Capital 360, and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, ADSS is the largest indoor summer sports event of its kind in the Middle East. This year’s edition expands to Halls 1 through 11 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, a significant increase from previous editions, offering residents an air-conditioned sporting destination through the peak of the UAE summer.…
The National Center for Environmental Compliance, partnering with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, deployed satellite imagery and artificial intelligence for the first time during the 1447 AH Hajj season to enhance environmental monitoring in Makkah and the holy sites. By pairing daily satellite feeds with AI modeling software, the system enables early detection of environmental changes, mapping extensive geographic areas to alert field squads of violations before they impact pilgrim health. According to the center, over 50% of the season’s environmental alerts were generated directly by this program, which analyzed 176 satellite images across 31 locations. This space-based…
LOS ANGELES — A former Southern California mayor pleaded guilty on Friday to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government, admitting she promoted Beijing-backed content in the United States without notifying federal authorities. Wang, 56, stepped down as mayor of the Southern California city of Arcadia earlier this month after being charged in April with acting in the United States on behalf of a foreign government. Prosecutors said she worked to advance the interests of Chinese officials by sharing articles favorable to Beijing while failing to register her activities as required under US law. Wang was elected to…