King Salman Approves Hosting of 1,000 Umrah Performers from 16 Asian Countries

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has approved the hosting of 1,000 male and female Umrah performers from around the world at his personal expense under the Guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Programme for Haj, Umrah and Visit. The initiative, managed by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, will be implemented in four phases during the 1448 AH year, with the first batch comprising 250 guests from 16 Asian countries including Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mongolia.

Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Al Alsheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance and General Supervisor of the programme, expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their commitment to serving Islam and Muslims. He emphasized that the initiative reflects the Kingdom's dedication to strengthening bonds of brotherhood among Muslim peoples and underscores Saudi Arabia's humanitarian and religious mission to build bridges of communication with scholars, clerics, and influential figures across Muslim communities worldwide.

The program aims to provide comprehensive services to participants through an advanced operational system. Since its launch, the initiative has successfully served guests from more than 140 countries, demonstrating the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to facilitate Muslim pilgrims' access to the holy sites with ease and peace of mind. The remaining three batches of the 1,000-guest program will be distributed across the remainder of the 1448 AH year.