1.3 million Muslims from abroad to perform Haj

August 26, 2014

Jeddah, Aug 26: More than 1.3 million foreign pilgrims are expected to perform Haj this year, according to the Haj Ministry. South Asian countries will send the largest contingent of 410,000 Hajis followed by Arab countries with 250,000.

About 228,000 pilgrims will come from Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia and Malaysia, while Turkey and European countries will send 190,000, non-Arab African countries 170,000 and Iran 63,000.

Saad Al-Qurashi, a member of the National Haj & Umrah Committee, said about 150,000 domestic pilgrims, including expatriates, would perform Haj this year. “Among them 41,000 will benefit from low-cost Haj services,” he told Arab News.

The Tawafa Organization for South Asia, which takes care of pilgrims from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, held a high-level meeting two days ago to review preparations for the annual pilgrimage.

Raafat Badr, chairman of the organization, urged heads of 115 field service groups to extend the best possible services to the guests of God to help them perform their religious duties in comfort.

The Haj Ministry, meanwhile, refuted reports that the government would take the assistance of foreign security companies to manage the annual pilgrimage, the largest gathering of Muslims in the world.

“These are just rumors. There is no need to take the assistance of foreign security companies as reported by some media,” an Interior Ministry source told Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic daily.

A Haj Ministry official emphasized that the Kingdom would employ only Saudi companies to manage Haj affairs.

“All companies we deal with during the Haj season are 100 percent Saudi,” said Hatim Qadi, deputy Haj minister, adding that companies that provide security services are licensed by the Interior Ministry.

Some foreign media reports claimed that the Haj Ministry was planning to appoint a company that cooperates with Israel to provide some services. The report was referring to Al-Majal, which is a Saudi company licensed by the Saudi Commerce Ministry 33 years ago, the Arabic daily said.

Mohammed Al-Othaim, a media expert, said such false reports were aimed at tarnishing the Kingdom’s image and create confusion among pilgrims. “They spread these false information through the social media including Facebook and Twitter using fake names,” he pointed out.

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Trail of death and devastation as massive explosion rocks Lebanon's capital

Agencies

August 4,2020

Beirut, Aug 4: A massive explosion has shaken the Lebanese capital of Beirut, with a very high number of casualties expected.

A warehouse at the Beirut Port caught fire on Tuesday afternoon, triggering a huge explosion, Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Several smaller explosions were heard before the bigger one occurred.

Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanon’s General Security, said that “highly explosive materials” confiscated earlier had been stored at the site.

Footage shared on social media captured the moment of the bigger explosion, with a colossal shock wave seen traveling fast across several hundreds of meters and shrouding the area in thick smoke.

The blast left enormous material damage to the surrounding buildings and structures. But it was not immediately known how big an area was affected.

There was also no immediate casualty count. Graphic amateur video from the scene showed bodies strewn on the ground, with their clothes blown off.

The NNA said rescue operations were underway. Ambulances were seen heading toward the scene in central Beirut.

Lebanese LBC television channel quoted Lebanon’s Health Minister Hamad Hasan as saying that the blast had caused a “very high number of injuries” and “extensive damage.”

Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud said an unspecified number of firefighters dispatched to extinguish the initial fire had been killed in the explosion.

“As they were putting out the fire, the explosion took place and we’ve [lost them],” he said, breaking down on live TV.

The explosion comes at a time when the Arab country is passing through its worst economic and financial crisis in decades, and amid rising tensions with Israel.

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Saudi govt asks expats to cancel final exit, reentry visas

News Network

March 24,2020

Riyadh, Mar 24: General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) on Tuesday asked all expatriates in the Kingdom, who have a final exit visa or an exit and reentry visa, to quickly cancel them before their expiry. This is to avoid the prescribed fines for not availing of these visas before their expiry date, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The new measure was taken following the Saudi government’s suspension of international flights as part of the preventive and precautionary measures to stem the spread of new coronavirus. The Jawazat asked expatriates to verify the validity of such visas and cancel them through Ministry of Interior’s electronic service portals of Absher or Muqeem.

It underlined the need to adhere to the regulations and instructions in order to avoid fines prescribed by law against the violators.

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My reentry expair date 26-03-2020 plz help me

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Combating corona: Dubai unveils creative outdoor campaign encouraging public to #StayHome

April 16,2020

Dubai, Apr 16: Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), unveiled a series of outdoor ads that form part of its new campaign to encourage the community to stay home.

Featuring the slogan 'For My Sake #StayHome for Us', the campaign depicts stunning artwork developed in collaboration with Emirati artist Maitha Demithan. The ads have been displayed on billboards, lamp posts and digital screens across Dubai.

The campaign reinforces the importance of staying at home in line with the strict restrictions on movement put in place by Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management as part of intensified measures to combat Covid-19.

Nehal Badri, Director of Brand Dubai, said: "The outdoor campaign, displayed in prominent locations across Dubai, was designed to illustrate the importance of staying at home during the current sensitive period. Using Maitha Demithan's stunning creative artwork, we sought to send out a clear message to the community that staying at home is vital to safeguard the wellbeing of our loved ones.

This project is one of a series of initiatives launched in collaboration with UAE-based artists to raise awareness about the need to unite efforts to protect vulnerable people from the risk of infection."

Emirati artist Maitha Demithan said: "It has been a privilege for me to work on this project and an honour to serve my country through my artworks. The three portraits featured in the campaign create a triptych that represents the people who are the most vulnerable to being infected by the virus. During such difficult times, art can play a crucial role in raising awareness on how to stay safe, but most importantly it can keep everyone inspired. I encourage all my fellow artists and the creative community to continue practicing social distancing and stay connected by using their creativity and innovation to raise awareness during this period."

Brand Dubai partnered with several media outlets, including Media 24/7, Arabian Outdoor Media and Hypermedia to launch the outdoor ads. The ads are displayed on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Marina.

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