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.
Representatives of the Consulate General of Uzbekistan participated in the 15th World Halal Products Exhibition and the International Conference “World HAPEX 2026”, held from July 30 to August 2 at Prince of Songkla University in Thailand, reports Dunyo IA.
The event brought together representatives of government agencies, business circles, academic institutions and industrial sectors from Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China.
Speaking at a panel discussion, Consul General of Uzbekistan Fakhriddin Sultanov noted that Uzbekistan has been a member of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) since 2019 and, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, continues to develop open and pragmatic cooperation with countries of the Islamic world.
He also emphasized that, thanks to the liberalization of the visa regime, pilgrimage and Islamic tourism to Uzbekistan has been steadily growing, particularly to such historic cities as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
At the exhibition, the Consulate General presented a dedicated national pavilion featuring materials on Uzbekistan’s tourism potential, national culture and traditions. Visitors were introduced to books and video materials highlighting the legacy of outstanding thinkers and scholars, including Amir Temur, Alisher Navoi, Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, Abu Ali ibn Sina, Abu Rayhan Beruni and Imam al-Bukhari, as well as information about the Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent.