Mecca & Pilgrimage l مكة والحج

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On the white Marble
of the Holy Mosque

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Makkah crane crash retrial
to start on Wednesday


The Makkah crane crash took place on Sept. 11, 2015, claiming the lives of 110 people and injuring 209 others.

2018-10-28

MAKKAH — The Makkah crane crash case trial will reopen at the Second Discretionary Circuit of the Criminal Court on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court returned the case to the Criminal Court in Makkah for a retrial, sources told Al-Watan Arabic daily.

The crane crash took place on Sept. 11, 2015, claiming the lives of 110 people and injuring 209 others.

The Supreme Court also approved the requests of lawyers representing the defendants that they be given sufficient time to prepare their defense, while reserving their right to reply to any queries presented in the upcoming court sessions.

Earlier, the Criminal Court in Makkah held a session in the presence of the Public Prosecutor and all parties involved in the case except the defendant “President of Saudi Binladin Group” or his representative.

During the session, the Public Prosecutor said that all the lawyers representing the defendants had presented a joint memo. But it did not include defense against the charges.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/5...t-on-Wednesday

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‘Masajid’ app for
smart phones launched

2018-10-30

RIYADH — Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Sheikh Abdullateef Al-Asheikh announced the launch of the “Masajid” smart phone app for iphone and Android systems.

In a tweet he said that the “Masajid” app provides diverse services via smart phones. It can be downloaded via the links: Android: goo.gl/3CLGky and iphone: goo.gl/b9F3BP

The app can be used to look for nearby mosques and communicate with the Imam and Muezzin.

Meanwhile, Minister of Haj and Umrah Dr. Muhammad Saleh Benten said serving pilgrims is a national responsibility.

He was addressing a workshop on Monday to improve services provided to Haj and Umrah pilgrims and visitors.

The workshop reviewed the standard of services provided to the “Guests of Allah”, seeking to raise the standard of all services, implementing the initiatives by service providers, preparing a monthly report on progress of work and shedding light on the initiatives via various media.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/5...hones-launched

https://twasul.info/1255864/

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International Islamic Fiqh Academy event
to suggest ways to fight social issues

29 October 2018

JEDDAH: The aim of the conference of International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) being held in Madinah is to highlight the true nature of Islam, say officials and members of the Saudi Shoura Council.

The 23rd session of the conference organized by IIFA in collaboration with the Islamic University in Madinah under the patronage of King Salman will provide research scholars with an opportunity to present their research and studies based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Based on the research findings, scholars will suggest ways to eradicate social and economic issues facing the Muslim world.

The event also aims to promote the true understanding of Islam and its tolerant nature.

The conference will also highlight the role of scholars in educating the masses and in enlightening the Islamic world. Several officials and academics told the Saudi Press Agency that the Islamic Shariah has the ability to achieve social harmony and human happiness. The Shariah, they added, has the solution to all human problems. However, they stressed the need to refer to authentic religious sources to find those solutions.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1395391/saudi-arabia

Madinah governor opens conference
promoting true understanding of Islam

30 October 2018

JEDDAH: Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman opened the 23rd session of the conference of International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA).

The five-day event is being held in collaboration with the Islamic University in Madinah under the patronage of King Salman. It serves as a platform for religious scholars and researchers to present their research and studies based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Based on the research findings, scholars will suggest ways to eradicate social and economic issues facing the Muslim world.

The aim of the event is to promote the true understanding of Islam and its tolerant nature. The conference will also highlight the role of scholars in educating the masses and in enlightening the Islamic world.

Several officials and academics told the Saudi Press Agency that the Islamic Shariah has the ability to achieve social harmony and human happiness. The Shariah, they added, has the solution to all human problems. However, they stressed the need to refer to authentic religious sources to find those solutions.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1396066/saudi-arabia

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Hajj Ministry’s new goal: Opening up pilgrims
to Saudi historical, touristic attractions


Pilgrims at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah

October 31, 2018

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Mohammad Saleh Bentin urged Umrah companies to improve the quality of their services and announced the launch of new high-standard investment opportunities for companies operating in the sector.

“The real and sustainable gain is the dedication to serving pilgrims,” he said.

Bentin highlighted the professional environment that provides the best services to pilgrims to enrich their experience from arrival to departure after having completed their rituals. He was speaking at the first workshop organized by the ministry to present and discuss the Umrah sector strategy under Vision 2030.

Bentin said that the program for serving pilgrims aims to facilitate arrival procedures for Hajj and Umrah visitors. He stressed that giving the opportunity to a larger number of companies improves competitiveness in services and allows for a wide range of excellent options.

The minister said all sectors of the country are keen to invest their potential, services and workforce in serving pilgrims. “Serving Hajj and Umrah is a national responsibility shared by all,” he said.

Bentin said that the sectors are endeavoring to serve pilgrims and enrich their Hajj and Umrah experience by introducing them to the many historical places and Islamic monuments and by creating a suitable environment.

He also underscored the importance of providing information, using technology and preparing quality initiatives that reflect the attention and care accorded by the Saudi leadership to pilgrims and visitors.

He said the ministry aims to issue Umrah visas throughout the year and without stopping during the Hajj season.

The ministry’s undersecretary, Abdul Aziz Wazzan, presented the Umrah-specific goals, the current Umrah figures and statistics, and the challenges of the sector. Then he presented the main areas in which the strategy and executive plans will operate to improve the quality of Umrah services to suit the growing number of pilgrims and reach efficient procedures through electronic platforms.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1396666/saudi-arabia

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Al-Jiranah Mosque
مسجد الجعرانة

Masjid al-Ji’ranah (Arabic: مسجد الجعرانة) is a mosque which marks the location where the Prophet Mohamed (Peace be upon him) entered into Ihram after returning from the Battle of Hunayn.

It is one of the designated Miqat points for individuals residing within the area of the Haram who have the intention of performing Hajj or Umrah.

https://hajjumrahplanner.com/masjid-al-jiranah/

Masjid Jirranah is situated approximately 24km north-east of Masjid Haram and is one of the places where pilgrims enter into the state of Ihram for the performance of Umrah. In the year 8AH the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) camped here for a few days after the Battle of Hunayn and entered into the state of Ihram and then proceeded to Makkah.

https://www.islamiclandmarks.com/sau...asjid-jirranah

https://sabq.org/%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%...9?t=1502557951

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Half a million Umrah pilgrims this season

2018-11-03

JEDDAH — The Ministry of Haj and Umrah has said 835,910 visas were issued for Umrah pilgrims (mutamirs) until Wednesday, Oct. 31. It said 547,392 pilgrims already arrived in the Kingdom since the beginning of the current Umrah season and 271,020 of them have left Saudi Arabia after completing the ritual.

The number of pilgrims still in the Kingdom is 276,372 pilgrims, with 185,484 pilgrims in Makkah and 90,888 in Madinah, according to the ministry’s weekly data.

The data also included the number of Saudi staff within Umrah companies and institutions. They are 6,784 Saudis, including 4,604 males and 2,180 females.

Most pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom via air with a total of 513,542 pilgrims while 33,825 entered by land entry points. Only 25 pilgrims arrived via seaports.

According to the ministry, the highest number of Umrah pilgrims was from Pakistan (215,856), followed by 117,759 Indians, 94,977 Indonesians, 17,832 Yemenis, 15,287 Malaysians, 11,712 British, 11,666 Emiratis, 10,431 Jordanians, 8,636 Bengalis and 7,151 Turks.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/5...ms-this-season

@HajMinistry

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Crackdown on illegal souvenir
vendors intensified in Makkah

2018-11-07

JEDDAH/MAKKAH — Saudi authorities have intensified their crackdown on unauthorized production and sale of souvenirs representing religious symbols.

The officials had previously notified the shops about a ban on the sale such items.

Millions of pilgrims who visit Makkah buy souvenirs to take home as gifts to near and dear ones and also to preserve the memory of their visit to the holy city. Making and selling souvenirs to the pilgrims is lucrative business, which is dominated by expatriate workers.

The authorities have lately turned their attention to unauthorized manufacturing of souvenir items representing important religious symbols including the Holy Kaaba.

On Monday, officials from Makkah Municipality, with support from security forces, raided a sewing facility that skillfully produced embroidered cloth that looked like the pieces of the kiswa (the black and gold cover) of the Holy Kaaba.

They arrested 20 expatriate craftsmen of various nationalities from the location. The expatriate workers had turned their residence in Al-Otaibiyah neighborhood of the city into an illegal factory for sewing the fake kiswa and other souvenir items.

The officials, accompanied by police, stormed the building after the municipality was tipped off about the illegal activity by citizens.

The officials also confiscated 18 powered sewing machines, 5 embroidery machines and other equipment along with a huge quantity of cloth, according to a statement issued by the municipality.

During the raid, the officials seized pieces of black silk cloth with Qur’an verses embroidered into them with golden threads to make them look as if they are pieces of the Kaaba kiswa.

Skilled craftsmen from Bangladesh, India and Burma worked in the factory. Apparently, they were trying to make money by selling the cloth pieces to unsuspecting pilgrims, who would be eager to buy them believing them to be pieces of the Kaaba cover. The Holy Kaaba represents the Qibla, or the direction in which Muslims all around the world face when performing the prayer. The cover of the Kaaba is one of the most important symbols of veneration in the House of Allah. Its history is as much a part of the history of the Kaaba itself.

The form and design of the kiswa evolved due to numerous social and economic factors in particular periods of history.

When the kiswa is replaced with a new one as is customary on Dhul Hijjah 9 every year, the old kiswa is cut into pieces and presented to important dignitaries from around the world as souvenirs. One such piece is preserved in the United Nations.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/5...fied-in-Makkah

Municipality officials remove equipment seized from the illegal souvenir factory in Al-Otaibiya area of Makkah.














http://alwatannews.net/article/80221...B9%D8%A8%D8%A9

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Saudi Arabia changes rule barring
Israeli pilgrims from visiting Makkah

November 8, 2018

Saudi Arabia has changed passport regulations which will restrict Israeli Muslims from visiting the Islamic religious holy site of pilgrimage, Makkah, the Haaretz newspaper reported. The change closes a loophole that earlier allowed Israelis passage to the two holiest sites, despite their country having no diplomatic relations with the Middle East monarch.

Saudi authorities announced they will no longer accept temporary passports Jordan had issued to Israeli Muslims to facilitate the trip, Haaretz said.

An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a text message that the government is “checking the situation.” Jordanian religious authorities in Jerusalem declined to comment.

The development took place despite covert ties between the two countries on their equal apprehensive attitude towards Iran. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently came under international pressure after dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying recently that the incident shouldn’t be allowed to destabilize the kingdom.

According to Haaretz, the change also affects Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip who hold temporary Jordanian passports, though not those with Palestinian travel documents.

Salim Alashqar, a Palestinian Authority official responsible for the pilgrimage, said “thousands” of Israeli Arabs and Palestinians will be affected.

“We have gotten complaints from citizens who were refused visas for the hajj to enter Saudi Arabia with a temporary Jordanian passport,” Alashqar said. “We are waiting for an official response and clarification from the Saudis.”

https://freepresskashmir.com/2018/11...siting-makkah/

Saudi Arabia bars nearly
3 million Palestinians from Hajj and Umrah


The Kaaba during pilgrimage, and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman,
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, since June 2017

8 November 2018

Saudi Arabia is barring more than one and a half million Palestinian citizens of Israel from travelling on temporary Jordanian passports to perform the Islamic pilgrimages of Hajj and Umrah in the holy city of Mecca, Middle East Eye can reveal.

The measure is part of Saudi Arabia's new policy to stop issuing visas for Hajj and Umrah to Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, East Jerusalem, and, most recently, to Palestinians living in Israel, who hold temporary travel documents issued by Jordan or Lebanon - a policy that became effective on 12 September.

This Saudi move affects 2.94 million Palestinians in total across these states, who have no access to any other form of travel document allowing them to go to Saudi Arabia, where millions of Muslims travel each year on pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Several travel agents spoken to by MEE in Israel, East Jerusalem and Jordan said that they were informed by Jordan's Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs that the Saudi embassy in Amman told them to not apply for visas for anyone seeking to travel to Mecca on a temporary Jordanian passport.

Israeli-Saudi agreement

A Jordanian source, with an inside knowledge of his country's diplomatic affairs, told MEE that the Saudi decision is part of a bilateral agreement with Israel to put an end to the "Palestinian identity and the right of return for refugees".

"Saudi Arabia is pressuring Jordan to naturalise the Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Palestinians in East Jerusalem, and now Palestinians in Israel. The same could happen in Lebanon. Then, you will not have a Palestinian refugees problem," the source said.

"It is all part of a bilateral agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. But Jordan is refusing to naturalise Palestinians."

Jordanian MPs told MEE that Jordan has been issuing temporary travel documents since 1978 for Palestinian citizens of Israel, who fell under Israeli military administration after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

Saud Abu Mahfouz, a Jordanian MP, said that they have asked Jordan's minister of interior and the minister of Awqaf to send a committee to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, to negotiate a reversal of the policy, and called upon King Salman to intervene.

"The decision is affecting every Arab and Muslim who has the right to worship. We have been hearing complaints about this matter since last year, and we were surprised to find almost 200 tourist companies in Jordan not able to issue an electronic visa for Umrah from the Saudi embassy for Palestinians," Abu Mahfouz said.

Another Jordanian MP, Yahya Al-Saud, said that they have asked for a meeting with the Saudi ambassador in Amman, Khaled bin Faisal, but the embassy has yet to set a date for the meeting.

"There is a pressure on Jordan. The Saudi are saying that only people with permanent passports could get a visa for Hajj and Umrah," he said.

A Jordanian temporary passport carried by Palestinians of East Jerusalem and Jordan

30 years of Hajj ban

Prior to 1978, Palestinian citizens of Israel endured three decades without going to Hajj and Umrah, a situation that ended when Jordan's King Hussein began a policy in coordination with the Arab League to issue travel cards for them to perform Hajj, one of Islam's five pillars.

After 2000, Jordan's Civil Status and Passports Department in Amman started issuing them temporary passports instead of travel cards that are valid for a year and cost 50 Jordanian dinars ($70).

Saudi Arabia and the majority of Arab states do not recognise the Israeli passport. The Jordanian temporary passport was a tool to facilitate Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages to Mecca for Palestinian citizens of Israel who hold an Israeli passport.

"Since 1978, we were just allowed to go to Hajj, but in the 1990s Saudi Arabia allowed us to go to Umrah [also]," Saleem Shal'atah, the head of the Hajj and Umrah Committee for Muslims of 48 that organises the journeys to Saudi Arabia, told MEE.

Shal'atah said that he and two of his colleagues were denied a visa by the Saudi embassy in Amman on their Jordanian temporary passports, Jordan's Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs told them last month.

"We were going to check the hotels and other travel arrangements for the new season of Umrah that starts on 16 December, as we do annually, but no visas were issued," he said.

Shal'atah said that Palestinian citizens of Israel have to deposit their Israeli passports at the border point with Jordan and continue their journey to Saudi Arabia. Upon their return, the Jordanian authorities will take the Jordanian temporary passports, which is valid for just one journey, and hand them over the Israeli passports at the border.

There are 4,500 Palestinian pilgrims from Israel who go to Hajj each year, Shal'atah said, and between 20,000 to 25,000 perform Umrah.

Palestinian refugee problem

MEE reported in September that Saudi Arabia had banned Palestinians holding temporary Jordanian passports from entering the country, a measure directly affecting almost 634,000 Palestinians living in Jordan and 324,000 in the Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem.

Several travel agents who spoke to MEE at the time said they had been told at the start of September that they should not apply for visas for anyone seeking to travel on a temporary Jordanian passport, although no official Saudi announcement had been made.

The Jordanian temporary passport is a document valid for five years issued to Palestinians who live in occupied East Jerusalem by the Civil Status and Passports Department in Amman.

The holders of temporary passports do not have a national identification number and are therefore not entitled to the full rights of Jordanian citizenship.

Palestinians living in East Jerusalem use the passport merely as a travel document to move from one country to another, especially in the majority of Arab states that do not recognise Israel or Israeli-issued travel documents.

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon hold a travel document issued by the General Directorate of the General Security

In October, MEE reported on another decision by the Saudi embassy in Lebanon to bar Palestinian refugees entry visas for Hajj and Umrah on their refugee travel documents.

An official at the Saudi consul's office in Beirut confirmed to MEE then that following a decision by the Saudi Foreign Ministry in Riyadh, they had informed tourism companies in Lebanon that no Hajj and Umrah visas would be issued to Palestinians on their refugee travel documents - a decision that became effective on 12 September.

"The Palestinian refugees [in Lebanon] can now get visas on a Palestinian Authority passport," the official said.

Ashraf Dabbour, the Palestinian Authority ambassador in Beirut told MEE that the embassy knew about the Saudi visa decision through unofficial channels and word of mouth from Palestinian local figures.

But he denied that the PA would issue travel documents for refugees in Lebanon wishing to travel to Saudi Arabia.

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are estimated to number 174,422, according to the country's first and only census of the community in December.

They hold refugee travel documents issued by Lebanon's General Directorate of the General Security and currently have no access to any other form of travel documents allowing them to go to Saudi Arabia.

They can apply for a Lebanese travel document that is valid for one, three or five years, and the application fees are similar to that of the Lebanese passport, which costs $40 for each valid year.

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon have no political rights of citizenship to vote in elections for parliament or local municipalities.

They are also prohibited from practising 20 professions including law, medicine and engineering, and are not allowed to work in government institutions because they are designated as "foreigners" under Lebanese law.

Saudi visa ban in media

Some Palestinian and Arab media have linked the Saudi move to US President Donald Trump's as-yet-unannounced "deal of the century" proposal, amid rumours that Washington sought Saudi support for measures that would revoke the right of return of Palestinian refugees displaced by the creation of Israel in 1948 and subsequent Arab-Israeli wars.

The measures would see Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan fully naturalised and granted national ID numbers.

Haaretz reported that the new Saudi visa ban for Palestinian citizens of Israel is aiming "to examine the possibility that Muslim citizens of Israel could travel directly to Saudi Arabia, as part of the growing detente between Israel and Saudi Arabia."

Israel Katz, Israel's minister of transport, tweeted on 11 September welcoming Trump's "initiative" regarding the issue of Palestinian refugees, saying that the Palestinian refugee "problem" in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq "would be good to disappear from the world".

https://www.middleeasteye.net/saudi-...h-passport-ban

[Roukaya19]

Role of technology in improving
pilgrims’ experience discussed

07 November 2018

JEDDAH: The role of technology in improving Hajj and Umrah experiences for pilgrims was discussed on the sidelines of the Saudi National Security and Risk Prevention Expo in Riyadh, along with the importance of building a Saudi workforce capable of making the Kingdom more self-sufficient in the technology sector.

Ahmed Riad, managing director of Estmrarya Management Consulting, announced a new partnership with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to launch a new electronic application designed to assemble a huge database of information about pilgrims.

He explained that app will allow pilgrims to enter their personal information, such as age and health status, and the analysis of this data will help authorities to predict potential problems and deal with them more quickly and easily, before they get worse.

Iyad Ibrahim, director of sales and marketing with Thales Group, a French multinational company that designs and builds electrical systems, presented an integrated strategy on how to manage crowds during Hajj and Umrah seasons through the development of an integrated system that analyzes data to help authorities make the right decisions more quickly.

He said that the system proposed by his company, which will link all holy sites through an integrated system that analyzes video, photos and data, will make it easier to control and manage crowds, and discover and deal with any unusual behavior.

Waleed Abu Khalid, CEO of Northrop Grumman in the Middle East, said: “We are working on a strategy aligned with Vision 2030 and contracting with local companies to take the lead in our contracts within the Kingdom, with a view to transferring knowledge and technology to local companies.”

Abu Khalid said that more than 100,000 Saudi students are studying at American universities, whose expertise will benefit the Kingdom in the future.

He added: “We focused on dealing with US graduates through a special summer program. We have also tried to motivate Saudi boys and girls to enter the field of advanced technology and launched, in cooperation with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a successful special competition for Saudi youth, focusing on challenges facing the Kingdom in science, engineering and other disciplines related to the environment or advanced technology.”

He called on businesses and investors to enter this industry, saying that it offers promising opportunities. This is evident in Vision 2030, which calls for localization of the security industry to reach 50 percent, instead of relying on external suppliers.

Abu Khalid added that cooperation with international companies to enhance the advanced security industry in the Kingdom needs to include the establishment of research centers related to technology in the fields of security and safety, among others, in addition to the strengthening of academic cooperation between Saudi universities and government agencies.

“We want to get rid of the principle of ‘buying to use’ through providing the necessary human resources that enable us to manufacture,” he said.
“Otherwise, we will continue to work within this principle for 20 years to come. Together with businessmen, universities and research centers, the Kingdom can develop technologies that it owns rather than just buying them.”

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1401056/saudi-arabia

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Umrah visa issue nears 1m mark

11 November 2018

JEDDAH: The number of Umrah visas issued this year has reached 998,670, of which 695,740 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom, according to data provided by the Hajj and Umrah Ministry.

There are 294,767 pilgrims still in the Kingdom, with 198,786 in Makkah and 95,981 in Madinah.

Most pilgrims — 650,702 — came to the Kingdom by air, while 45,010 entered by land and 28 arrived by sea.

The largest number of pilgrims are from Pakistan (262,695), India (140,505), Indonesia (131,908), Yemen (26,334), Malaysia (21,767) and the UAE (14,667).

Developing Hajj and Umrah organizations and services in the Kingdom is among the top priorities of the Saudi government.

The Vision 2030 reform plan aims to attract more than 30 million Umrah pilgrims, and provide them with excellent services and an outstanding experience.

Recently, Hajj Ministry launched a weekly indicator whereby authorities can track the number of pilgrims coming into the Kingdom, and in turn enrich their experiences by providing high-quality services.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1402676/saudi-arabia

[Roukaya19]

Electronic grouping of pilgrims from next Haj


Officials from a number of a related bodies attended a workshop on Haj service in Makkah

2018-11-11

MAKKAH — The Ministry of Haj and Umrah is planning to establish and electronic platform for the grouping of pilgrims starting from the coming Haj season, according to Makkah newspaper on Sunday.

The move was proposed at a workshop held recently in Makkah and attended by a number of government and private bodies concerned with the Haj operations.

According to the proposal, the grouping will be done in two stages — first for the arrival and departure of the pilgrims and their movements between cities while the second for their movement between the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah and the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

Undersecretary at the Ministry of Haj and Umrah Hussain Al-Sharif said the ministry and its partners were determined to continuously improve the services for the pilgrims and also for the visitors to Makkah and Madinah.

“The Saudi government is keen to extend consummate services to the pilgrims and enable them perform their religious rites in ease, peace and comfort,” he added.

He said the ministry was making efforts to introduce the smart grouping of the pilgrims. “This workshop is a practical application in the search for the best practices and solutions to provide the pilgrims with excellent services,” he said.

The participants watched a film comparing the Haj journey in the past and the present, and discussed a comprehensive plan for the easy and safe grouping of the pilgrims.

They noted that the presence of a large number of people from different cultures and tongues at the same spot for about five days requires a thorough plan for their easy grouping.

The ministry has conducted about 50 field studies, made more than 200 interviews and photographed the pilgrims on arrival and departure to come out with an elaborate plan for their grouping.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/5...-from-next-Haj

@HajMinistry

[Roukaya19]

Sudais tour of the
projects at Grand Mosque

Nov 12, 2018

وقف معالي الرئيس العام لشؤون المسجد الحرام والمسجد النبوي الشيخ الدكتور عبدالرحمن بن عبدالعزيز السديس ميدانياً على المشاريع المقامة بالمسجد الحرام.

كما اطلع معاليه على سير العمل في باب الملك عبدالعزيز، حاثاً المهندسين والعاملين بالمشروع على تسريع وتيرة العمل والانجاز مع الحرص على الجودة والاتقان.

وأكد السديس على مضاعفة الجهود لكي ينعم قاصدي بيت الله العتيق بكافة الخدمات والتسهيلات التي تساعدهم في أداء مناسكهم بكل يسر وسهولة، وفق تطلعات ولاة الأمر-رعاهم الله-.

وفي ختام الجولة شكر معالي الرئيس العام ولاة الأمر -حفظهم الله- على الدعم الغير محدود الذي يشهده الحرمان الشريفان، كما شكر جميع العاملين على جهودهم داعياً لهم بالتوفيق والسداد.

رافقه خلال الجولة سعادة المدير العام لمكتب معاليه الدكتور سعد المحيميد وسعادة الأستاذ طلال الثقفي.

https://www.gph.gov.sa/ar-sa/Pages/n...aspx?nID=46409

Google translation: His Excellency the President-General of the Holy Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Sudais held a stand on projects at the Grand Mosque.

He also briefed His Excellency on the work progress in King Abdulaziz Gate, urging the engineers and employees of the project to accelerate the pace of work and achievement while taking care of quality and workmanship.

Al-Sudais stressed the need to redouble efforts so that the ancient houses of God will enjoy all the services and facilities that help them perform their duties with ease and ease, according to the aspirations of the rulers of the matter.

At the conclusion of the tour, His Excellency the President-General of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques thanked them for the unlimited support witnessed by the honorable denial and thanked all those working for their efforts.

The Director General of His Excellency Dr. Saad Al-Muhaimeed and HE Mr. Talal Al-Thaqafi accompanied him during the tour.

@Anaserafi - Nov. 9, 2018

[Roukaya19]

Flynas launches Umrah flight services

Low cost carrier will transport
more than 200,000 pilgrims this year


The airline operates full packages for visitors to the Holy Mosque, which
includes hotels and rooms, catering, transportation, attractions and tours.

Tue 06 Nov 2018

Saudi low-cost carrier Flynas has launched its annual Umrah flights service.

The airline operates full packages for visitors to the Holy Mosque, which includes hotels and rooms, catering, transportation, attractions and tours.

Flynas has transported more than two million pilgrims to date with its ‘Flynas Umrah Services’ and expects to exceed its annual average of 200,000 passengers this year, due the addition of new destinations.

Bander Al-Mohanna, Flynas CEO, said Flynas Umrah Services has obtained a license to operate the flights from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

https://www.arabianbusiness.com/tran...light-services

[Roukaya19]

‘Smart Mosques’ to monitor
mosques all over Kingdom

2018-11-13

MADINAH — “Smart Mosques” is a new electronic initiative that was introduced by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance to monitor the houses of God in all parts of the Kingdom.

The director of the ministry’s branch in Madinah, Qais Al-Muaiqli, launched the initiative, which was aimed at further enhancing the procedures of closely watching the houses of God, to improve the services and create a societal platform that will improve the performance of the mosques.

The director said this was the first initiative of its kind to be launched by the ministry within its efforts to use IT in promoting the performance of the mosques in a manner that is more accurate and flexible.

Abdul Rahman Al-Shihri, the project’s director, said the imams and congregates can convey their remarks and observations to the ministry through a device to be installed in each mosque.

The device will convey the remarks directly to the ministry so that it can act on them quickly.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/5...l-over-Kingdom

https://www.spa.gov.sa/1840774