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Saudi Gazette

May 2026

Saudi Arabia sets global benchmark in pilgrim health protection, says WHO

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Saudi Arabia on the successful Hajj season, praising the dedication of healthcare workers and their vital contribution to ensuring a safe and healthy environment for pilgrims

Ethiopia heads to the polls under the shadow of dissent and armed conflict

While the whole northern region of Tigray, which has been trying to recover from a brutal civil war that ended in 2022, has been totally excluded from the poll, with conflict raging in parts of the country, many people will not be able to cast their votes

We are participating symbolically because the law says you cannot boycott elections consecutively. We are participating, mainly to avoid deregistration,

Saudi Crown Prince, French president discuss enhancing regional security in phone call

The Crown Prince and Macron reviewed areas of joint cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France, and explored ways to support and further strengthen them across a number of fields

WHO chief hails Ebola recoveries as new treatment center opens in eastern Congo

Alan González Cancelpuerto Rican politician
Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after its declaration,
Like everyone in the affected areas, MSF teams are witnessing a response that has not yet caught up to the rapid spread of the epidemic,

Saudi Arabia starts issuing Umrah visas for the new season

The last day for issuing Umrah visas has been set for 1st Shawwal, 1448, corresponding to March 9, 2027, while the final date for pilgrims to enter the Kingdom is 15th Shawwal 1448 corresponding to March 23, 2027

Israel issues more displacement orders in Lebanon, seizes strategic castle

The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading. We have broken the barrier of fear. We are taking the initiative, we are operating on all fronts — in Syria, in Gaza, in Lebanon,
I have requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council because, while we recognise Israel’s right, like that of all countries, to self-defense… nothing can justify the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its ever-deeper occupation of Lebanese territory,

Opposition candidate in Venezuela 2024 election calls for new vote

Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the 76-year-old former diplomat living in exile in Spain, threw his support behind Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who wants fresh elections in the oil-rich South American nation

Edmundo Gonzálezopposition candidate
A few days ago in Panama, Maria Corina Machado and Venezuela's democratic forces came together with a single goal: Venezuela's freedom. We stand together, united on the same roadmap towards the same destiny,
My commitment is to do everything in my power to ensure that mandate becomes real freedom, real democracy,

Hundreds arrested in France after wild Champions League celebrations

Some 22,000 police were deployed across France for the game, including 8,000 in Paris, after unrest marred PSG’s win in the competition last year

Only in France does a football club’s victory spark riots. Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence,

Japan rejects ‘neo-militarism’ accusations, seeks candid dialogue

Shinjirō Koizumijapanese Defense Minister
Japan's door is always open,
Shinjirō Koizumijapanese Defense Minister
Since the end of the Second World ⁠War, Japan has consistently respected ‌international law, ‌including the Charter of the United ‌Nations, and has made sincere ‌efforts to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order.”
Japan’s past as a peace-loving nation has been valued by the region and by [the] international community. This fact will not be shaken by false claims, because it is a fact,

Trump seeks tougher terms as US-Iran deal remains in limbo

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibafparliament Speaker
No step will be taken before the other side acts,... We do not gain concessions through talks, but through missiles.”
The management of the Strait of Hormuz is exercised with full authority by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
Donald Trumppresident
Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb,
All ships, commercial vessels, and tankers are only required to travel through the designated routes and obtain permission from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] Navy. Any violation of these regulations will seriously jeopardise the security of their traffic,

US says it is capable to resume war with Iran as peace deal remains elusive

Our ability to recommence if necessary...we are more than capable,

US, UK and Australia to develop cutting-edge underwater drone technology

The alliance began in 2021 and is intended to offer deeper integration of defence-related technology and science as well as increased information sharing

Saudi Arabia deports 7,466 illegal residents in a week

Those who were arrested include 4,266 violators of the Residency Law, 2,653 violators of the Border Security Law, and 1,171 violators of the Labor Law

Passports Department at Jeddah airport swings into processing departure of Hajj pilgrims

The directorate confirmed its full readiness to process departing pilgrims across all of the Kingdom’s international air, land, and sea ports, facilitating their smooth return home after completing their Hajj rituals