RIYADH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has approved the hosting of 1,000 male and female Umrah pilgrims from around the world at his personal expense under the Guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit. The initiative will be implemented by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.The first group under the program, which will be carried out in four phases during the 1448 AH year, includes 250 Umrah pilgrims hailing from 16 Asian countries: Indonesia, East Timor, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mongolia.On the occasion, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance and General Supervisor of the program Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Sheikh expressed his gratitude to the King and the Crown Prince for their continued care and commitment to serving Islam and Muslims, and for their ongoing efforts to enable Muslims from across the world to perform Umrah and visit the holy sites with ease and peace of mind.Al-Sheikh stated that the initiative reflects the leadership's dedication to strengthening bonds of brotherhood among Muslim peoples and underscores the Kingdom's humanitarian and religious mission to build bridges of communication with scholars, clerics, and influential figures across Muslim communities worldwide.