HRH The Crown Prince: We thank God that we are honored to serve the Two Holy Mosques and the Holy Sites, take care of those who visit them

Deputizing for Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, held today at the Mina Palace the annual reception for heads of states, high officials, Muslim dignitaries, guests of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, guests of government agencies, and heads of delegations and pilgrims affairs offices who performed Hajj this year.

Verses from the Holy Quran were first recited, after which HRH the Crown Prince delivered the following speech:

“In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful,

Praise be to Allah and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammed, his family and companions.

Your excellencies, heads of state,

Pilgrim brothers and sisters,

Distinguished guests,

May Allah’s peace, blessings, and mercy be upon you.

On behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, we are pleased to congratulate you and all Muslims on the blessed Eid Al-Adha, praying to Allah to accept the pilgrims’ rituals and help them to complete them in safety, peace of mind and easily.

We, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thank Allah Almighty for honoring us to serve the two holy mosques and the holy sites, to tend to those who visit them, and to ensure their security and safety.

We are proud to continue carrying out this great duty, exerting all efforts, and harnessing all our capabilities to make the pilgrims’ stay comfortable.

Dear brothers,

The blessed Eid Al-Adha arrived amid the continuation of the heinous crimes against our brothers in Gaza Strip. We urge an immediate halt to this attack, and that the international community take all the measures needed to ensure the protection of lives in Gaza. We also ask that the recent resolutions issued by the UN Security Council regarding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip be heeded. The Kingdom renews its call on the international community to recognize the independent State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to enable the brotherly Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights, to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.

We pray to Allah Almighty, these blessed days, to grant us and the Islamic nation security and prosperity.

We wish you health and happiness, this Eid and always.

May Allah’s peace, blessings, and mercy be upon you.

Then, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Chairman of the Pilgrim Experience Program Committee Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah then delivered a speech in which he briefed those present on the ministry’s plans and organizational arrangements for all offices involved in Hajj affairs in different countries, which contributed to concluding contracts very early this year, compared to previous years.

He said: “With the support and guidance of Your Royal Highness, competition among companies dealing with pilgrim affairs started in the year 1443 AH, and today we have 35 companies competing to provide services to pilgrims, which contributed to raising the quality of services and increasing pilgrims’ satisfaction. To facilitate Hajj missions, we organize the Hajj Services Conference every year.” He noted that more than 100 countries participated in the conference’s last edition, and more than 200 specialized companies offered services to Hajj affairs offices, and this conference allowed them to view all the services provided and finalize their contracts under one roof.

The minister also talked about the Hajj Projects Management Office, which works to coordinate more than 50 government agencies to serve pilgrims, adding that more than 300 work plans were submitted, including all procedures and services, and three major simulation exercises to transport pilgrims were implemented, with the participation of 15,000 buses, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior.

He also said that 11 buildings were constructed in Mina, to accommodate 37,000 pilgrims, as a prototype of model buildings that serve pilgrims, which will be later expanded.

Al-Rabiah said that, based on HRH the Crown Prince’s directives to ensure the safety and comfort of pilgrims, the Ministry of Interior, in partnership with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, launched this year the campaign “No Hajj without a Permit,” which was a complete success.

He said: “This year, we launched the Nusuk digital identification card, which contains information about the pilgrims and the services provided to them, and enables the authorities to serve them quickly and efficiently. This card contains special security features that help the security authorities distinguish legal pilgrims from those attempting to perform Hajj without a permit.

“Under the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, the Makkah Route Initiative was expanded to include seven countries and 11 airports, through which more than 316,000 pilgrims arrived this year, completing entry procedures at the airports of their countries and being transported directly to their places of residence in Makkah and Madinah, with ease and convenience.”

Dr. Shawqi Ibrahim Allam from the Muslim World League (MWL) also delivered a speech in which he expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince for the warm reception and the generous hospitality accorded to pilgrims, and the good organization of all Hajj affairs.

President of the Supreme Authority for Hajj and Umrah in the Republic of Iraq Sheikh Sami Al-Masoudi delivered a speech on behalf of the heads of Hajj delegations, thanking the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH Crown Prince for the exceptional efforts exerted to enable pilgrims to perform their religious duties easily and comfortably.

HRH the Crown Prince greeted Vice President of the Republic of Gambia Mohammed Jallow, Prime Minister of Niger Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, Prime Minister of Yemen Ahmed Awadh bin Mubarak, former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, former Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Ismail Sabri, speakers of Houses of Representatives and Parliaments in a number of Islamic countries, and the invited officials.

All then had lunch with HRH the Crown Prince.

The ceremony attended by several princes.