Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 8 January, a meeting of the delegation of Uzbekistan with the leadership of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia took place in Jeddah.

According to the press service of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, the meeting was attended by adviser to the head of our state Muzaffar Komilov, chairman of the Muslim Board, mufti Nuriddin Khaliknazarov, chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs Sodikjon Toshboev and Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia Tawfiq bin Fauzon al-Rabia. During the conversation, issues of organizing the Hajj-2023 were discussed.

At the meeting, the adviser to the President of Uzbekistan noted that in recent years bilateral cooperation has been developing dynamically, pilgrimages - Hajj and Umrah - are organized for the Muslims of our country.

Muzaffar Komilov also thanked the Saudi side for the invitation to the prestigious conference and expressed gratitude for the sincere reception, and also said that the main purpose of this visit is to further strengthen the Uzbek-Saudi cooperation.

In turn, the Saudi minister acknowledged that cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan has been successfully developing in recent years. This was given impetus by the state visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Saudi Arabia in August 2022, which took place at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The minister also noted that the introduction of a visa-free regime is a great relief for citizens of Saudi Arabia when traveling to Uzbekistan. He said that the wide promotion of these opportunities in Saudi Arabia will give positive results, according to Dunyo news agency.

During the talks, it was stated that intensive construction of the Memorial Complex with an innovative museum dedicated to the life and work of the great Islamic theologian, hadith scholar and interpreter of the Koran Imam al-Bukhari continues in the Samarkand region. The Saudi side announced its intention to take part in the opening ceremony of this museum.