New rules for Muslim pilgrims and Umrah travel
New rules for Muslim pilgrims have been issued. The new rules allow only those aged between 18 and 50 to perform Hajj, the greater Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and one of the five pillars of Islam, and umrah, the lesser Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that can be taken at any time.
Read article
KAUST partners with Makkah Cultural Forum, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah & DARP on crowdsourcing initiatives
In line with Saudi Arabia's national priorities and Vision 2030, the recently launched inaugural edition of the KAUST Challenge focuses on improving the Hajj and Umrah experience for pilgrims from all over the world and on advancing efforts to make Makkah a smart city.
Read article
Ancient Madinah artifacts exhibit to shed new light on Saudi history
An exhibit showcasing rare manuscripts of the Prophet’s Mosque has revealed the rich history of the city and the work of scholars that once called the holy city their home.
Read article
Saudi Arabia announces guidelines for Maldivian Umrah pilgrims,...
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has established a set of guidelines to be followed when Maldivian pilgrims visit to perform Umrah pilgrimage, during the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic.
Read article
Madinah joins world’s healthiest cities
JEDDAH: The Saudi city of Madinah has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) as among the world’s healthiest cities. The holy city gained the accreditation after a visiting WHO team said that it met all the global standards required to be a healthy city. Madinah is believed to be the first city with a population of more than 2 million to be recognized under
Read article
Jordanians rethink umrah plans in light of new travel conditions
AMMAN — New rules for Muslim pilgrims have been issued, allowing only those aged between 18 and 50 to perform Hajj, the greater Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and one of the five pillars of Islam, and umrah, the lesser Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that can be taken at any time.
Read article
Netherlands and Dubai ban travellers from SA due to Covid variant
Many countries continue to bar travellers from SA, as they implement renewed lockdowns and travel restrictions due to new coronavirus variants.
Read article
'Father of kittens' at Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem passes away due to COVID
For decades, Younis would drive over 90 minutes from his home in Arara, an Arab-Israeli town in northern Israel, five times a week to feed the cats and birds at the compound.
Read article
German startup to help Saudi hotels utilize empty spaces
A German start-up established during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to help hotels overcome a slump in occupancy rates is now working in Saudi Arabia. NeuSpace aims to assist operators in coming up with new ways to generate revenue from their empty spaces.
Read article
One Thousand Roads to Makkah: Four Women’s Stories
“One Thousand Roads to Mecca: Ten Centuries of Travelers Writing about the Muslim Pilgrimage” (collected and edited by Michael Wolfe) is a treasure trove: the chronicles of hujjaaj from across time and geography, including – to my special interest – Muslim women of varying backgrounds, in wildly different time periods. I immediately jumped to their […]
Read article
Indonesia raises umrah reference rate to accommodate higher COVID-19 costs
The Indonesian government sets a minimum rate for umrah packages that travel agencies must follow.
Read article
Madinah governor inaugurates exhibition of rare manuscripts
Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman on Tuesday inaugurated the exhibition of rare manuscripts in the library of the Prophet’s Mosque. The inauguration was attended by the president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, and the secretary-general of the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah),
Read article