Saudi King
Salman Abdul Aziz has ordered hosting for the Haj 2,000 members of families of
Yemeni soldiers and resistance fighters killed in battles in their country, a
Saudi government minister has said.
Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military alliance fighting
Yemen’s Iran-allied Al Houthi militants in support of the internationally
recognised government there.
Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs Abdul Latif Al Shaikh said
that the royal gesture reflects the Saudi monarch’s continued care for the
Yemenis.
“This generous gesture comes in appreciation of the heroic
sacrifices made by the martyrs and in recognition of their defence of religion,
the unity of Yemen and its territorial integrity,” the minister added,
according to the official Saudi news agency. In recent weeks, the Saudi king
has hosted thousands of Muslims from different parts of the world to perform
the Haj.