Negotiations were held at the Palace of Symposiums in Tashkent between a delegation led by the Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, and Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sodiq Toshboyev, as well as the Chairman of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, Mufti Nuriddin Kholiknazar, with the participation of other officials.

Expressing gratitude for the warm reception, Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah stated that the purpose of his visit is to enhance cooperation between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, improve the quality of pilgrimage arrangements, and strengthen ties in religious and educational fields, scientific research, tourism, and transportation. 

Highlighting the immense contributions of Imam Bukhari, Imam Termizi, Farabi, Beruni, and Ibn Sina to Islamic scholarship and global civilization, the Minister emphasized his commitment to facilitating visits by representatives from Saudi Arabia to Uzbekistan, a country rich in ancient culture and invaluable historical monuments.

At the meeting, Mufti Nuriddin Kholiknazar, Chairman of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, expressed gratitude to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as well as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for fostering conditions for enhanced cooperation. He highlighted that the Hajj quota for Uzbek pilgrims has tripled in recent years, allowing 15,000 Uzbek citizens to perform the pilgrimage annually, with ongoing improvements to ensure better conditions.

Discussions included proposals for large-scale cooperation between the two countries in science and technology, organizing conferences with the participation of religious scholars, and developing initiatives to facilitate visits by Saudi citizens to the historic cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Termez.

Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah assured the Saudi side will carefully review Uzbekistan’s proposals and utilize all available resources to reach a positive resolution.

Nazokat Usmanova, UzA