Government | Wednesday 14 September, 2016 11:45 am

All-seeing ‘eye’ watches over Makkah pilgrims

Under a bank of monitors broadcasting live footage from more than 5,000 cameras, Saudi officers have kept their eyes on every route and gathering spot at this year’s Haj pilgrimage. As custodians of the most sacred sites in Islam, the authorities have been at pains to assure the world that...

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Government | Tuesday 13 September, 2016 3:25 pm

Jamarat Bridge divided into six levels

Makkah Development Authority has divided the hi-tech Jamarat Bridge in Mina into six levels to ensure smooth flow of pilgrims for the stoning-the-devil ritual without stampedes and other accidents. “The move aims at distributing the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims at various levels of...

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Government | Tuesday 13 September, 2016 3:15 pm

Hajis reassemble in Mina

It was a busy day for pilgrims who reassembled in Mina on Monday after spending the night in Muzdalifah. They stoned Jamarat Al-Aqaba (the big Satan), slaughtered sacrificial animals, shaved hairs, and got out of the state of ihram. A large number of them headed toward the Grand Mosque for Tawaf ...

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Government | Tuesday 13 September, 2016 2:29 pm

King Salman: We take great pride in serving pilgrims

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has said that serving the Two Holy Mosques is the greatest blessing. In a tweet on the day of Eid on Monday, he said: “Eid Al-Adha is the culmination of our pride in serving pilgrims, and also serving the Two Holy Mosques which are our greatest...

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Government | Tuesday 13 September, 2016 1:31 pm

Makkah governor lauds smooth flow of Hajis

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has described the movement of pilgrims from Mina to Arafat during the current Haj season as unprecedented. Speaking on Saudi TV Channel 1, Prince Khaled said the Kingdom is providing quality services to Haj and Umrah pilgrims, “which has stirred the envy ...

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Government | Monday 12 September, 2016 3:47 am

Grand Mosque has a capacity of 1.8m pilgrims after expansion

The Grand Mosque in Makkah has the capacity to accommodate around 1.8 million pilgrims, following its expansion, reflecting the keenness of the Kingdom to care for Haj and Umrah pilgrims. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman launched five major projects last year, including the main...

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Government | Monday 12 September, 2016 2:49 am

Kaaba gets a new Kiswa

The Kaaba, House of Allah, was dressed in its new Kiswa (the cloth that covers the Kaaba) after Fajr prayer on Sunday by as many as 86 technicians and weavers. The Kaaba is dressed in its new Kiswa on Dhul Hijjah 9, the Day of Arafat, every year. On this day the Grand Mosque is usually empty...

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Government | Monday 12 September, 2016 2:44 am

Nearly 2 million pilgrims seek forgiveness at Arafat

Nearly two million pilgrims, from all corners of the world, converged on the plains of Arafat, 15 km from the holy city of Makkah, on Sunday to perform the most important ritual of Haj — Wuqoof-e-Arafat. A white sea of the faithful surged from Mina to Arafat as dawn broke on the second day...

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Government | Monday 12 September, 2016 2:30 am

King Salman oversees services to pilgrims

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman arrived in Mina on Sunday to oversee the services being provided to pilgrims at the holy sites. Pilgrims having completed their stand at Arafat will sleep tonight in Muzdalifah before they return to Mina. Before the start of Haj, King Salman...

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Government | Monday 12 September, 2016 2:15 am

KSA strives to serve pilgrims

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is also chairman of the Central Haj Committee, said Saudi Arabia strives to make Haj a success, and it works quietly to serve the guests of God. These comments came during a press conference held on Saturday at the headquarters of Makkah Governorate in...

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