RIYADH: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Nayef Al-Hajraf has praised the efforts of the Saudi government in serving the holy sites and Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Al-Hajraf also praised the support of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in serving the Two Holy Mosques. This was a tribute to the Kingdom’s endeavors to organize the Hajj season every year. Almost 900,000 Muslims are taking part in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, which started on Wednesday, after two years of reduced numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The secretary-general said that serving the Two Holy Mosques was a great honor and responsibility that the Kingdom had been executing since the era of the late founder King Abdulaziz and his sons. Al-Hajraf extended his greetings to the king and crown prince, and the Saudi government and people on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, which began on Saturday and marks the end of Hajj. He also congratulated Saudi Arabia on organizing a successful Hajj season, during which the Kingdom elevated the services provided to pilgrims in a way that created an ideal environment for them to carry out their rituals with ease. Al-Hajraf praised the efforts of all workers in sectors overseeing the organization of this year’s Hajj, wishing the Arab and Islamic world a happy Eid Al-Adha.