From Westminster to Makkah: Two British MPs join the Hajj pilgrimage
MAKKAH: Among more than 2 million Hajj pilgrims thronging the holy sites are two British Members of Parliament — Yasmin Qureshi, Labour MP for Bolton South East and Shadow Minister for Justice, and Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West. Both women are members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hajj and Umrah, and they work with the British and Saudi governments to ensure
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From rapper to pilgrim: French celebrity Diam’s life-changing visit to a Muslim friend
JEDDAH: She had money, fame, influence and power. By the age of 23, she had millions of fans, sold more than 4 million albums and won numerous awards. Writing and performing numerous hit singles and records one after the other, by 2007, Mélanie Georgiades, better known by her stage name Diam’s, seemed to have it all, living the life that many dreamed of. Yet, despite her
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First international flights from Jeddah’s new airport on Friday
Ibrahim Al-Ruasa, spokesman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA,) said that there will be a flight every day from the new airport to the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain and four weekly flights to Oman.
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Safety, easiness and comfort to mark this year's Haj
The Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat) has announced the completion of the arrival of the pilgrims from outside. They included a total of 6,300 pilgrims from 73 countries who were invited by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to be his guests and perform Haj.
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More than a million ‘sacrificial’ animals ready for Hajj
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National Guard minister inspects forces’ Hajj preparations
MAKKAH: Saudi National Guard Minister Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdul Aziz on Wednesday inspected the forces involved in serving this year’s Hajj pilgrims. Upon his arrival at the National Guard’s camp in Al-Sharai, Makkah, the minister reviewed guard units and watched a performance of combat riots and displays of individual and collective skills.
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Dhaka mission steps up support for pilgrims
About 125,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year following a round-the-clock operation by Bangladesh’s Hajj mission in Dhaka. “A 40-member team from the Religious Affairs Ministry has been added to the regular Hajj staffers to help the pilgrims heading to Makkah,” Saiful Islam, director of the Hajj office in Dhaka, told Arab News.
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Drones to transmit 5G signals in holy sites
Talking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette here on Tuesday, the governor said the commission has allocated more frequency bands so as to increase internet speed threefold.
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Last of ‘Makkah Route’ pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia for Hajj
JEDDAH: The last pilgrims traveling under Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Route Initiative arrived in the Kingdom Wednesday ahead of Hajj. The program established last year allows pilgrims to complete their entry paperwork in the airports they are departing from rather than once they arrive in Saudi Arabia. More than 171,000 pilgrims from Tunisia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan and
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30,908 paramedics stationed in holy sites
The General Authority for Statistics said that the number of peopling medical services (including cases of emergency) to Haj pilgrims this season amounted to 30,908 individuals, including 8,685 women, according to the report.
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Zamzam: The well that hasn’t dried out for over 5,000 years!
The well pumps water with a maximum rate of 18.5 liters per second, and a minimum of 11 liters per second. It is 30 meters deep and still quenches the pilgrims’ thirst since Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) called people to perform Haj.
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Ministers launch new and enhanced Hajj and Umrah services
MAKKAH: Saudi authorities on Tuesday launched a number of initiatives and enhanced services designed to improve and enrich the experiences of Hajj pilgrims.
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