Saudi King Salman sacks haj minister in royal decrees

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman dismissed Mohamed Benten as minister for the haj and umrah, a position with a leading role in organising Islam’s annual pilgrimage, a royal decree carried by state news agency (SPA) said on Friday.

Haj and umrah, which generated billions of dollars each year before the pandemic, is a major source of income for the Saudi government.