JAKARTA: Indonesia is ready to send hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Makkah for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage, an official from the Ministry of Religious Affairs told Arab News, with the first batch set to leave for Saudi Arabia next week.
The Hajj quota for the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation returned to its pre-pandemic figures in 2023. Saudi Arabia initially approved the pilgrim quota of 221,000 and later added 8,000 more.

CAIRO: Egypt’s Ministry of Transporthas earmarked around 4 billion Egyptian pounds ($130 million) for new river transport projects, as part of the government’s drive to ease traffic congestion on the country’s roads, reduce transportation costs, and reduce pollution.

A single ship can shift substantial amounts of cargo — equivalent to the load of hundreds of large trucks. Moreover, river transport facilitates connections with other African nations, particularly land-locked countries and those located in the Nile Basin.

CAIRO: Urgent action is needed to safeguard the future of Egypt’s pharmaceutical industry, a specialist has warned.
Ahmed Galal, a leading figure in the industry, told Arab News the pharmaceutical sector faces significant challenges adapting to the global market, as well as “aligning with modern technology to deliver effective medicine at an affordable price.”
His comments came after a parliamentary session on Saturday in which MPs discussed a specialist report outlining a strategy to “future-proof” the pharmaceutical industry.

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Arab League Summit on Friday that they must not allow the region to turn into a conflict zone, but reassured the world that “world peace” was near.

The Kingdom hosted the summit in which Syrian President Bashar Assad was welcomed back after a 12-year suspension and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to rally support for his country.

CAIRO: In a symbolic gesture, Sudan’s top army general on Friday fired the paramilitary leader — his former ally turned rival — as the deputy of the country’s governing body, state media reported.
The dismissal by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan of Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces, from the Sovereignty Council comes as the two fueding generals continue to battle for control over this troubled African country.
The month-long conflict has killed at least 705 people, the World Health Organization said Friday.