JEDDAH — Singapore President Halimah Yacob received in Singapore Wednesday the Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah as part of his official visit along with a delegation of several representatives from the governments and private institutions concerned with serving Hajj and Umrah performers from Singapore.

During the meeting, Al-Rabiah conveyed the greetings and appreciation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman to the president of Singapore, and their wishes for the continued development and prosperity of her country.

He emphasized that the visit is an extension of the distinguished historical relations between the two countries, which resulted in the signing of several agreements in various areas, including the Hajj and Umrah sector.

This is a continuation of the great efforts and financial and human resources that the leadership exerts to serve Islam and Muslims and facilitate their arrival in Makkah and Madinah.

Dr. Al-Rabiah also mentioned that this year's Hajj season will see the return of several pilgrims to their pre-pandemic levels.

He also highlighted the growing number of Singaporean Umrah performers by 45% compared to pre-pandemic levels, to increase the quality of services and enrich their religious and cultural experiences, to achieve the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 programs.

The official visit included several meetings with several officials to discuss ways to boost cooperation between the two sides in several areas and to go over prospects of developing outstanding relations between the two countries.

This is especially significant after the automation of all services, the elimination of age restrictions and having mahram (male guardian), the issuance of visas electronically through the Nusuk platform, the selection of packages and services, and the completion of payments via smart devices easily.

The minister concluded his visit to Singapore by holding several meetings with various officials to enhance cooperation between the two countries in several areas, confirming the deep bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

During the visit, the two sides discussed ways of strengthening strategic bilateral cooperation to enhance the quality of services provided to the Umrah performers coming from Singapore.

Talks during the visit also focused on increasing the effectiveness of the joint committees in several aspects to ensure easy trips for pilgrims and Umrah performers. — SPA