Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj with other Muslim pilgrims, official media said Sunday, after dozens died in his country during recent protests.

Bashir "arrives in Jeddah to perform hajj," the state SUNA news agency reported.

Saudi Arabia's appointed advisory body on Thursday rejected a move by three female members to put the ultra-conservative kingdom's unique ban on women driving up for discussion, state media reported.

Its decision came even as activists hailed increasing reports of women getting behind the wheel in defiance of the ban ahead of a nationwide protest they are planning for later this month.

Saudi authorities have not yet recorded any cases of the deadly MERS virus ahead of the annual hajj that starts Sunday, with the kingdom hosting some two million Muslim pilgrims.

"So far, no case for any epidemic has been recorded among the pilgrims, especially the coronavirus," local media on Thursday quoted Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabia as saying.

Saudi authorities beheaded a citizen in the western province of Taif on Thursday after he was convicted of shooting dead another man, the interior ministry announced.

Saad bin Shbat al-Subaie was executed for shooting dead fellow tribesman Mughnem bin Mohammed al-Subaie, the ministry said in a statement published by the official SPA news agency.

Saudi Arabia's interior minister warned Muslim pilgrims on Wednesday against exploiting next week's annual hajj for political purposes.

"The Saudi government urges all pilgrims to perform this ritual away from any action that could put their safety at risk," the official SPA news agency quoted Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as saying.

A Saudi court sentenced a preacher convicted of raping his five-year-old daughter and torturing her to death to eight years in prison and 800 lashes, a lawyer said on Tuesday.

In a case that drew widespread public condemnation in the kingdom and abroad, the court on Monday also ordered Fayhan al-Ghamdi to pay his ex-wife, the girl's mother, one million riyals ($270,000) in "blood money," lawyer Turki al-Rasheed told Agence France Presse.

Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour won fresh support from King Abdullah for his country's fight against "terrorism" as he Tuesday wound up a trip to Saudi Arabia, official news agency SPA said.

Mansour arrived Monday in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on his first official trip abroad since he replaced the Islamist Mohammed Morsi after the army deposed him on July 3.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday that his country and Saudi Arabia agree on the need to strengthen the Syrian opposition and rebel forces.

"Our approach to the situation is identical," Le Drian told reporters in Jeddah, following talks with Saudi officials, including King Abdullah.

Egypt's military-backed interim president Adly Mansour arrived in Saudi Arabia Monday to thank the kingdom, the first country to welcome the July military ouster of his Islamist predecessor Mohammed Morsi.

Saudi Arabia, which along with other Gulf monarchies has long seen Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood as a threat, embraced his July 3 overthrow and quickly pledged financial aid to the military-backed authorities.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian held talks on Monday with Saudi officials focused on cooperation in defense and armaments, SPA state news agency said.

Le Drian discussed with his counterpart, Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, who is also the crown prince, "ways to strengthen bilateral relations," SPA said.