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King Salman issues royal order to host 1,000 Palestinians to perform Hajj this year

King Salman issues royal order to host 1,000 Palestinians to perform Hajj this year
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Updated 19 May 2025

King Salman issues royal order to host 1,000 Palestinians to perform Hajj this year

King Salman issues royal order to host 1,000 Palestinians to perform Hajj this year

RIYADH: Saudi King Salman has ordered on Monday the hosting of 1,000Palestinian pilgrimsto perform Hajj this year, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The statement said the King has ordered the “hosting of 1,000 maleand female pilgrims from the families of killed or wounded Palestinians” amid the conflict with Israel.

The gesture is part 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.

The ministry said it immediately began developing a comprehensive plan to facilitate the performance of Hajj for the Palestinian pilgrims.


ֱ condemns Israeli occupation expansion in Jerusalem

ֱ condemns Israeli occupation expansion in Jerusalem
Updated 10 sec ago

ֱ condemns Israeli occupation expansion in Jerusalem

ֱ condemns Israeli occupation expansion in Jerusalem

RIYADH: ֱ ministry of foreign afffairs condemned the expansion of Israeli occupation in Jerusalem in a statement on X Thursday afternoon.


KSrelief sends urgent aid to Pakistan’s flood-hit province

KSrelief sends urgent aid to Pakistan’s flood-hit province
Updated 21 August 2025

KSrelief sends urgent aid to Pakistan’s flood-hit province

KSrelief sends urgent aid to Pakistan’s flood-hit province
  • Convoy sets off from Islamabad in the presence of ֱ’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s humanitarian agency KSrelief has sent urgent aid to Pakistan in response to the recent floods in the nation’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The convoy had set off on Wednesday from Islamabad in the presence of ֱ’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, Pakistan’s Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah Khan, and other officials.

Al-Malki said King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the aid to help needy people in the crisis-hit region.


Reef Saudi backs Al-Ahsa lime exhibition Lomi Hasawi

Reef Saudi backs Al-Ahsa lime exhibition Lomi Hasawi
Updated 21 August 2025

Reef Saudi backs Al-Ahsa lime exhibition Lomi Hasawi

Reef Saudi backs Al-Ahsa lime exhibition Lomi Hasawi
  • The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program supports farmers and other producers

RIYADH: The agricultural development program Reef Saudi is backing Lomi Hasawi, an exhibition dedicated to the lime fruit that grows in the Al-Ahsa region of ֱ.

Reef Saudi, formally known as the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, which is participating as a gold sponsor, is a government entity supporting the industry’s development in the Kingdom.

The lime is grown widely in the Eastern Province, particularly in the Al-Ahsa Oasis, and locals have been farming it for centuries.

The Lomi Hasawi Exhibition, organized by the Al-Ahsa Chamber, runs from Aug. 21 until Sept. 6.

Reef Saudi spokesman Majed Al-Buraikan said the program, which supports producers, had provided SR342,000 ($91,000) to the lime sector in the province, benefiting 89 farmers.

And that support has boosted production to over 122,400 tonnes, he told the Saudi Press Agency recently.

The fruit sector is a key focus for the program, which aims to diversify local agricultural production, raise efficiency, and contribute to achieving self-sufficiency, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, according to the SPA.


ֱ’s Jubail Industrial City operates world’s largest smart irrigation network

ֱ’s Jubail Industrial City operates world’s largest smart irrigation network
Updated 21 August 2025

ֱ’s Jubail Industrial City operates world’s largest smart irrigation network

ֱ’s Jubail Industrial City operates world’s largest smart irrigation network
  • Jubail irrigation network has pipelines running over 11,600km
  • Protects environment and combats climate change, says official

JUBAIL: Jubail Industrial City operates the world’s largest integrated smart irrigation system, which is helping to protect the environment, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

Citing information from the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, the report stated that the system is managed by a unified control center that includes more than 12,200 smart devices, and processes about 1.2 million signals daily.

Safar Alnutayfat, the RCJY’s operation and maintenance manager, said:  “The system serves as a national model aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 for environmental sustainability, advancing digital transformation in resource management, and activating smart cities with high efficiency.”

Alnutayfat explained that the commission manages a vast irrigation network extending over 11,600 km of pipelines.

RCJY's unified control center that manages the irrigation system has more than 12,200 smart devices, processing about 1.2 million signals daily. (SPA)

With the use of the smart system, the commission has reduced operation and maintenance costs by over 35 percent, while recycling treated water for irrigation at about 2.8 million cubic meters per month, he said.

Alnutayfat said the system, which is in line with the goals of the Saudi and Middle East green initiatives, rationalizes consumption of natural resources, increases vegetation cover, and combats climate change in the area.

RCJY's unified control center that manages the irrigation system has more than 12,200 smart devices, processing about 1.2 million signals daily. (SPA)

 


Saudi FM speaks to Emirati, Qatari, and Bahraini counterparts

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. (SPA)
Updated 20 August 2025

Saudi FM speaks to Emirati, Qatari, and Bahraini counterparts

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. (SPA)

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate phone calls with his counterparts from the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.  

During the phone calls with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Prince Faisal discussed the latest regional and international developments and issues of common interest.