…says185,000 Nigerians visited Saudi Arabia for holy pilgrimages in 2023
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has said that the volume of foreign trade between the Kingdom and Nigeria stands at $600 million at present, adding that a total of 65,000 Nigerians visited Mecca and Medinah for Hajj, the Holy Pilgrimage, while 120,000 were in the Kingdom for lesser Hajj in 2023.
Speaking in Abuja at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia as part of events to commemorate the 94th National Day of the Kingdom, Faisal bin Ebraheem Alghamdi, the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Nigeria, emphasised Saudi Arabia’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the comfort and tranquility of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
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He praised the leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who closely supervised and followed up on all arrangements for pilgrims.
The Ambassador also said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offered 260 scholarships to Nigerian students, both male and female, to further enhance educational exchange between the two countries.
Alghamdi highlighted the significance of the occasion, marking 94 years since King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud unified the Kingdom, creating a strong and stable entity grounded in a tolerant Islamic creed that upholds values of equality, justice, and confidence.
He emphasised that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the first fixed-line model in the modern Middle East, a testament to its progressive leadership.Ambassador Alghamdi also took the opportunity to celebrate the longstanding and growing bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, which have flourished for over 63 years.
He noted that the partnership between the two nations continues to strengthen under the leadership of both countries, with numerous bilateral agreements signed over the years, which have fostered greater collaboration and an increased exchange of visits between government officials, enhancing diplomatic ties and cooperation.
Reflecting on the strong bonds between the Kingdom and Nigeria, the Ambassador wished the Nigerian Government and its people continued progress and success.
Ambassador Alghamdi also spoke about the Kingdom’s Humanitarian efforts in Nigeria, including the Nur-Saudi Voluntary Project initiated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The first phase of this project focused on combating blindness and performing life-saving surgeries such as open-heart and urology procedures.
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“One of the key highlights of the Kingdom’s medical achievements in Nigeria was the successful separation of conjoined Nigerian twins in May, a significant milestone in the Saudi medical community.
” This surgery was the 56th separation surgery performed by Saudi doctors, and the Kingdom remains one of the world leaders in conducting such delicate and complex operations”, he stated.
Ambassador Alghamdi congratulated the parents of the twins and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to providing medical assistance to those in need.
