Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry has arrested more than 75,000 people ahead of the start of the Hajj pilgrimage.

The Religious Affairs Committee said that Saudi law enforcement agencies have also begun to take punitive measures against those who perform the Hajj illegally. In particular, performing the Hajj rituals illegally will result in financial penalties ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 Saudi riyals (up to 27,000 US dollars). In addition to deportation from Saudi Arabia, the citizen will also be banned from entering the kingdom for the next 10 years.

Representatives of the United States, Ukraine, and Russia have arrived in Saudi Arabia for talks on resolving the situation in Ukraine. Some media outlets are reporting that the meeting will take place without the participation of the Ukrainian delegation.

The first unmanned flying taxi was successfully tested in Mecca in cooperation with Saudi Arabia and China. Saudi Arabia wants to speed up the movement of pilgrims during the Hajj with the help of air taxis.