Saudi Arabia to host Sudanese pilgrims until resumption of flights

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JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia will host pilgrims from Sudan until flights to the country are restored, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

All flights in and out of the country were halted earlier in the day after President Omar Al-Bashir was removed from power by the Sudanese military.

King Salman ordered the Minister of Hajj and Umrah to provide for the pilgrims from Sudan until transport links are resumed.

Airports in Khartoum and Port Sudan were closed, which prompted Saudi carriers Saudia and Flynas to announce on Twitter that they had suspended all flights to and from Sudan.

Al-Bashir’s ouster follows months of escalating protests against his rule that have been met with a brutal response by the security forces. Dozens of people have been killed.

In a televised address, Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, the first vice president and defense minister of Sudan, announced the suspension of the Sudanese constitution and creation of a transitional military council, which will lead the country for two years. Elections would be held after the transition period, Auf added.

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