🇪🇬EgyptNorth Africa
Egypt's Interior Ministry details Hajj pilgrim transportation and movement plan
via Egypt Today1 min read
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior has outlined its plan to manage the transportation and movement of Egyptian pilgrims during the Hajj season in Saudi Arabia. The Assistant Minister of Interior for Administrative Affairs and Head of the Executive Body of the Ministerial Committee for Hajj stated that the Minister of Interior has issued directives to improve all services for lottery-selected pilgrims, particularly transportation. The mission has modernized its fleet and enhanced services for long journeys between Saudi cities and for movement to Arafat and Mina. The system begins with buses transporting pilgrims from airports to accommodations in Medina or Mecca. The mission manages shuttle transportation between cities and equips buses with amenities for elderly pilgrims. A comprehensive contingency plan covers travel from Mecca to Arafat, then Muzdalifah, and finally Mina. Technical and administrative teams will accompany each bus to ensure smooth journeys, prevent overcrowding, and avoid delays until pilgrims return to Mecca before departing for Egypt. This year's Hajj season involves close coordination with Saudi authorities, with the Egyptian mission aiming to implement high international standards for land transportation to manage crowds. The mission emphasized that pilgrim comfort is a top priority for the Ministry of Interior.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Egypt Today.
Egypt and the United Kingdom are working to finalize a customs tariff review to boost agricultural trade and investments, according to a Foreign Ministry report. This follows the Egyptian-British Partnership Council meeting on June 18, co-chaired by the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. Both ministers highlighted their strong bilateral partnership, focusing on political, economic, and cultural cooperation under the Egypt-UK Partnership Agreement. They agreed to expand cooperation in green growth, climate action, and clean energy transition. Additionally, they emphasized strengthening migration management, addressing irregular migration's root causes, and intensifying efforts against cross-border organized crime. Discussions also covered regional and international security issues, including the Palestinian cause, the conflict in Sudan, maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, and geopolitical volatility in the Horn of Africa.
Must ReadNabil Fahmy, former Egyptian Foreign Minister, has been approved as the new Secretary-General of the Arab League by its Ministerial Council during a session in Jordan. Fahmy will officially take over diplomatic duties from Ahmed Aboul Gheit on July 1, 2026. His appointment comes at a time of complex regional and international crises in the Middle East, including conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, and instability in Syria and Lebanon. Fahmy, born in 1951, is the son of former Egyptian Foreign Minister Ismail Fahmy and has extensive experience in international relations. He served as Egypt's Ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2008 and was the founding dean of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo from 2009 to 2013. He returned to public service as Foreign Minister in July 2013 under Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi, continuing under Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab until 2014, where he focused on diversifying international partnerships and maintaining stable global ties.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein met to discuss transforming political alignment into economic partnerships. The trilateral summit, held on the sidelines of the 165th resumed ordinary session of the Arab League Ministerial Council in Amman, Jordan, focused on accelerating regional integration through infrastructure and trade projects. Abdelatty highlighted the Egypt-Jordan-Iraq Trilateral Cooperation Mechanism as crucial for leveraging the nations' combined resources, geographic advantages, and industrial capabilities. He emphasized the need to move beyond diplomatic discussions to implement practical joint ventures in commerce, manufacturing, energy, electrical grid interconnection, agriculture, and transport logistics. The Egyptian foreign minister called for the immediate execution of resolutions from the mechanism’s technical subcommittees to unlock partnership opportunities and reinforce sustainable development. Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to the trilateral mechanism and regular ministerial summits to maximize joint Arab action and address shared economic and security challenges.