Jordanian King Makes Pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia

King Abdullah II stopped by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a religious and political pilgrimage to the birthplace of Islam.

Reuters

First, the King performed the Umrah, or mini pilgrimage to Mecca. While the Umrah could be done at any time, Ramadan is a favorite time for Muslims to travel to the holy city.

King Abdullah did the ritual in the morning, and in the evening, he did the ishaa (evening) prayers and taraweeh (special Ramadan prayers) with Muslims from all over the globe.

Between those two religious events, the King met with his Saudi counterpart to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The two King Abdullahs agreed that the creation of a Palestinian state needed to be done “as soon as possible,” according to a Royal Court statement.

The two Kings “looked into efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution within a regional context”, the statement said, adding that the solution must “entail a lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East in accordance with the relevant terms of reference, especially the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.”