The Secretariat of the Holy Capital has implemented a strict ban on feeding pigeons in Mecca and Medina, with violators facing fines of 1,000 Saudi riyals.
The new regulation, announced to protect public health and maintain environmental cleanliness in Islam’s two holiest cities.
The secretariat has established continuous monitoring programs to enforce the ban and is encouraging citizens and visitors to participate in reporting violations.
Individuals can photograph offenders and submit evidence to local police, creating a community-based enforcement system.

Officials cite concerns about disease transmission, property damage, and environmental pollution as primary reasons for the prohibition.
The initiative represents the latest in a series of measures to enhance urban quality and public health standards in the holy cities, which host millions of pilgrims annually.
Previous regulations have addressed street vending, waste management, and public behavior to preserve the sanctity and cleanliness of the religious sites.
Municipal officials emphasized that the ban particularly targets areas around the Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque, where large pigeon populations have historically gathered due to public feeding.
The Sri Lankan online publication Colombo Times has published an analytical article titled “Uzbekistan’s New Renaissance: Reviving a Golden Past with the Tools of Tomorrow”, reports Dunyo IA.
Publication, prepared by renowned Sri Lankan journalist Fazan Nawaz, focuses on the reforms carried out in Uzbekistan over the past decade under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, aimed at building the New Uzbekistan and implementing the idea of the Third Renaissance, as well as their significant outcomes.
“At the very heart of Central Asia, a quiet yet far-reaching revolution in its significance is taking place. This struggle is being waged not with weapons, but through manuscripts, museums and microchips. Under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan is seeking to revive the glory of the medieval “Golden Age”, when such cities as Samarkand and Bukhara were leading centers of global science, poetry, and philosophy, author writes. - The distinctive feature of this process lies in the fact that Uzbekistan is actively using artificial intelligence and digital technologies to preserve, restore, and promote cultural heritage spanning more than a thousand years of history”.
Publication also highlights Uzbekistan’s rich cultural and historical heritage and the reforms being implemented to preserve it. It notes that this land has been the cradle of many outstanding scholars and thinkers throughout human history.
“Leader of Uzbekistan frequently refers to this historical heritage, emphasizing that Mirzo Ulugbek was not only a great scholar but also a statesman for whom science was the highest value. The current process of renewal is referred to by the Head of State as the ‘Third Renaissance’, viewing it as a nationwide project aimed at restoring Uzbekistan’s role as a center of science, education, and culture. According to historians, this term denotes a new stage of revival following two great periods of flourishing that had previously existed in the region”, article notes.
Article emphasizes that an important feature of Uzbekistan’s approach, distinguishing it from other countries, is the use of artificial intelligence not only as a tool for economic development but also as a means of protecting cultural heritage.
Fazan Nawaz concludes his article by stating that only time will show whether the “Third Renaissance” will be able to fully achieve its objectives. However, it is already clear today which path Uzbekistan is pursuing.