The Saudi government welcomed on Tuesday the launch of the final stage of the political process in Sudan.  Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.  The cabinet underscored Riyadh’s continued support to Sudan and international partners in the Quartet and Friends of Sudan Group to achieve the country’s stability and prosperity.  The ministers were briefed on the contacts and meetings between Saudi Arabia and several countries in recent days with the aim of developing relations and cooperation in all field to serve mutual interests.  They reviewed the latest regional and international developments and efforts exerted towards them.  The ministers highlighted the Kingdom’s participation at the international conference to support Pakistan that was held in Geneva. They stressed Riyadh’s solidarity with Pakistan and its people in confronting the aftermath of last year’s devastating floods.  Locally, the ministers noted that seven million people performed the Umrah pilgrimage in 2022.   They also underlined the Kingdom’s announcement on Monday that it will host a number of pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj season similar to what it took in prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.