Government | Friday 16 September, 2016 5:01 pm

Thank you Saudi Arabia for successful Haj 2016

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has sent a cable of thanks to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif on the successful completion of Haj 2016. The king thanked Almighty Allah for His bounty and generosity at the successful pilgrimage this year. “It is an honor for Saudi Arabia to host ...

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Government | Friday 16 September, 2016 3:54 pm

Preparing to go home

Having completed their Haj rituals with ease and comfort, many pilgrims are now preparing to leave the Kingdom after performing Tawaf Al-Wada (farewell circumambulation) at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Some of them proceeded to Madinah to spend some time praying at the Prophet’s Mosque. In...

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Government | Thursday 15 September, 2016 12:42 pm

Hajis start leaving Mina

The valley of Mina on Wednesday appeared serene. The din and bustle of the first two days of Haj had almost died down as many pilgrims left Mina for Makkah and Madinah. On Wednesday, the second day of Tashriq, the pilgrims who were in a hurry threw stones at the three walls symbolizing the Satan ...

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Government | Thursday 15 September, 2016 12:39 pm

Royal tributes paid to security forces following Haj success

The once-in-a-lifetime journey of faith, endurance and determination for the hundreds of thousands of Muslims from 164 countries came to a successful end on Wednesday. Haj 2016 is being described as an overwhelming success. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif has hailed the great efforts exerted by the ...

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Government | Thursday 15 September, 2016 12:38 pm

Development of Jamrat Bridge reduces hardships for pilgrims

The vastness of the Jamrat Bridge in Mina has contributed to putting an end to Jamrat incidents. This giant structure has also contributed to easing hardship and fatigue, which badly affected pilgrims before the bridge was established in 2007. The bridge provides eleven entrances and twelve...

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Government | Wednesday 14 September, 2016 1:47 pm

Fiber optic project to boost security: Crown Prince

Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier, minister of interior and chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, expressed appreciation for the work done to complete a fiber optic cable network project for the Ministry of Interior. Work on the project has been completed in Riyadh city, the Holy...

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Government | Wednesday 14 September, 2016 1:43 pm

‘Haj rituals proceeding according to plans’

A top official said all security and military units participating in the management of Haj were serving in accordance with security and preventive plans set up before the pilgrimage started. Gen. Osman bin Nasser Al-Muhrej, director general of public security and chairman of the Haj Security...

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Government | Wednesday 14 September, 2016 1:39 pm

King Salman: Politicization of Haj ‘unacceptable’

 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman said Tuesday that the Kingdom rejects any attempt to play politics with Haj. Addressing dignitaries from Muslim countries at a reception at the royal court in Mina, the king said:  “The Kingdom utterly rejects any attempt to turn...

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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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