US and Saudi officials Monday called for extending a UN arms embargo on Iran, warning of major implications for regional security amid accusations that Tehran was arming Yemeni rebels. The embargo, put in place as part of a nuclear accord signed with Tehran in 2015, is set to expire in...
Vacant religious sites. Abandoned pilgrim tents. Lifeless hotels. A stunning emptiness -- and fears of economic ruin -- haunt the usually bustling city of Mecca after Saudi authorities curtailed the hajj pilgrimage over coronavirus. Islam's holiest city usually hosts millions of pilgrims...
Saudi Arabia will allow around 1,000 pilgrims residing in the kingdom to perform the hajj this year, a minister said Tuesday, after it announced the ritual would be scaled back due to coronavirus. "The number of pilgrims will be around 1,000, maybe less, maybe a little more," Hajj Minister...
Saudi Arabia this year will limit the annual Hajj pilgrimage to people living inside the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shutting the doors to pilgrims from abroad. Only a limited number of people from all nationalities living in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to perform the annual...