Arab News Headlines
Manama, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, today received Eid Al-Adha greeting cables from His Highness Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, and His Highness Shaikh Abdulla Al Fateh bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
Makkah Al-Mukarramah, The Saudi Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services has announced the deployment of over 32 modern technologies to serve pilgrims, including 17 being used for the first time. Among these innovations are the air taxi, flexible rubber roads, and virtual reality glasses.
At a press conference in Mina, Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser, presented the transport and logistics system designed to serve the pilgrims to representatives of international, regional, and Gulf news agencies. He highlighted that over 47,000 ministry personnel are dedicated to facilitating pilgrims’ transportation in the coming days.
The minister emphasized that the ministry is implementing the latest future transport technologies and utilizing new, environmentally friendly transport methods that rely on artificial intelligence applications.
Al Jasser noted that more than 90 percent of pilgrims arrive by air from over 250 destinations worldwide, with six airports in
the Kingdom prepared for this influx, including the Riyadh and Dammam airports, which facilitate domestic air transport to ease pilgrims’ journeys.
He mentioned that over 27,000 buses have been prepared to transport pilgrims, with a total capacity of over one million pilgrims. Additionally, more than 156 routes have been established to facilitate the movement of pilgrims to and from the holy sites during the Hajj season.
The Saudi transport minister stated that the railway transport system is unique, featuring the Haramain High-Speed Railway, which reaches speeds of up to 300 km/h. This railway connects Mecca and Medina, with three other stations, and is the sixth fastest train in the world.
Regarding maritime transport, he explained that it is primarily utilized for transporting goods, logistical services, and sacrificial animals, with over 202 million sacrificial animals already transported via the Jeddah port.
In concluding the conference, Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser affirmed the Saudi Ministry of
Transport and Logistics Services’ commitment to providing the best and latest services to ensure that pilgrims can perform their rituals with ease and peace of mind, ensuring their safe return to their families.
Source: Qatar News Agency
Amman, A 45-truck humanitarian aid convoy arrived in the Gaza Strip on the eve of Eid Al-Adha, which was sent by the Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army (JAF) and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO), with donations from organisations, companies and institutions.
According to Jordan News Agency (Petra), the convoy carried food parcels and flour to be distributed through partner associations and organizations in the Strip, JHCO said in a statement.
Hussein Shibli, the JHCO Secretary-General, said that his organisation will continue to carry out its humanitarian role and dispatch aid from countries, organisations, institutions, and humanitarian agencies to Gazans.
Shibli said a total of 1,970 trucks have entered Gaza so far, in addition to 53 aid aircraft via Al-Arish Airport.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
Gaza: Several Palestinians were martyred and others injured on Saturday due to Israeli airstrikes on various parts of the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli aggression entered its 253rd day.
Local sources, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, reported that ambulance crews retrieved five martyrs and several injured individuals after Israeli aircraft targeted two homes in the Al-Sha’af area of the Al-Shuja’iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City.
The same sources mentioned that crews also retrieved five martyrs and several injured people following an airstrike on a home in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, also in eastern Gaza City.
In the southern part of the Gaza Strip, Israeli artillery targeted central, eastern, and western areas of Rafah, specifically the Al-Shaboura camp, Al-Saudi neighborhood, Laffa Badr, and Abu Sa’id.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks shelled eastern Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, and Israeli naval gunboats opened fire on fishing boats off the coast of Khan Younis.
The Israeli forces h
ave continued their aggression against the Gaza Strip by land, sea, and air since Oct. 7, 2023, resulting in the martyrdom of more than 37,266 citizens and injuring 85,102 others, with these numbers still not final as thousands of victims remain under the rubble.
UN warnings have continued to highlight the risks of famine in the besieged Gaza Strip, affecting residents, including children, who lack basic essential food supplies amid the closure of all access points for humanitarian aid.
Source: Qatar News Agency
Manama, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today received cables of greetings and well wishes on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, from senior members of the Royal Family, Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Chairman of the Shura Council, ministers, senior officials, dignitaries, MPs and Shura Council members, municipal councilors, governors, Bahrain’s ambassadors abroad, heads of diplomatic missions in the Kingdom, heads of associations, federations, sports clubs, and citizens.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
Geneva, The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning about the worsening health crisis in the occupied West Bank, citing attacks on medical facilities and stringent restrictions imposed by Israeli forces.
In a press release, the WHO called for immediate and effective protection of civilians and the health system in the West Bank, expressing regret over the strain on health institutions due to funding shortages.
The organization highlighted that the severe financial crisis, exacerbated by Israel withholding Palestinian tax revenues since October 7, has resulted in healthcare workers receiving only half of their salaries for nearly a year, and 45 percent of essential medications are out of stock.
The WHO reported 480 attacks on health facilities or ambulances in the occupied West Bank between Oct. 7, 2023, and May 28, 2024, which resulted in 16 deaths and 95 injuries.
Access to healthcare is further complicated by checkpoint closures, increasing insecurity, and the sealing off of entire villages
, WHO explained.
The Israeli government is withholding over 6 billion shekels in clearance revenues, which are taxes collected by the Israeli finance ministry on imported goods and transferred to the Palestinian finance ministry monthly.
Since the onset of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, 546 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, among them 133 children, and more than 5,200 others have been injured.
Source: Qatar News Agency
Manama, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today received Eid Al-Adha greeting cables from His Highness Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, and His Highness Shaikh Abdulla Al Fateh bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
Cape Town, The South African Parliament has confirmed Cyril Ramaphosa as the President of South Africa for a second term.
Judge Raymond Zondo, who presided over the election session, announced that Ramaphosa secured 283 votes from the 400-member National Assembly. Julius Malema, the candidate from the radical left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, received 44 votes.
On Friday, President Ramaphosa reached an agreement to form a coalition between his party, the African National Congress (ANC), and the formerly opposing Democratic Alliance (DA). This marks the first time in 30 years that a coalition government will be formed in South Africa.
Earlier, the South African Electoral Commission announced that the ruling ANC won 159 seats in the elections held on May 29th. However, this marks the first time in its history that the party has lost its absolute majority in Parliament.
The DA, the largest opposition party, secured 87 seats in Parliament, while the new populist party (MK) led by former Preside
nt Jacob Zuma won 49 seats.
Source: Qatar News Agency
Arafat, The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has released the official figures for the Hajj season 1445 AH.
According to the authority, a total of 1,833,164 pilgrims performed Hajj this year, of whom 1,611,310 were from outside the Kingdom. Domestic pilgrims, both citizens and residents, numbered 221,854.
The number of men pilgrims this year reached 958,137, while women pilgrims totaled 875,027, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
A breakdown of international pilgrims shows that 22.3% came from Arab countries, 63.3%, the largest group, from Asian non-Arab countries, 11.3% from African non-Arab countries, and 3.2% from Europe, America, Australia, and other unclassified regions.
The vast majority of international pilgrims, 1,546,345, arrived by air, 60,251 through land border crossings, and 4,714 by sea.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
Makkah Al-Mukarramah, The Qatar News Agency is participating among the media delegations covering the rituals of Hajj at Mount Arafat, through the media center of the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) in Arafat, Makkah.
The center brings together 10 news agencies from across the Islamic world and foreign agencies to exchange ideas and produce innovative media content.
The center aims to provide a conducive environment for the participating news agencies to cover the Hajj season, helping them provide and disseminate information to the pilgrims around the clock from the ground.
The center is equipped with all the modern devices needed to assist journalists in their coverage of the Hajj, ensuring the swift creation and distribution of news.
Additionally, high-speed internet service is provided within the center to ensure the quick processing of news, reflecting the significant development and transformation in services provided to the pilgrims.
Source: Qatar News Agency