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All schools closed in Makkah region after sandstorm

April 12, 2017

Jeddah, Apr 12: All schools in the Makkah region will remain closed on Wednesday due to bad weather, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

fog

An unexpected sandstorm struck the Kingdom on Tuesday, severely limiting visibility, disrupting traffic and making sure that no one puts out their laundry to dry.

Jeddah, Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and the Qassim and Eastern provinces were the hardest hit with wind speeds reaching 55 kilometers per hour.

Mohammad Al-Qahtani, a spokesman for the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection (PME), told Arab News the sandstorm will continue at least through Thursday and then gradually weaken.

“The sandstorm in going to be worsen by Wednesday and will last for two days,” said Al-Qahtani, who noted that the storm was unexpected.

The sandstorm arrived in Saudi Arabia just three weeks after the North African sandstorm Madar covered most of the Kingdom.

In addition to the poor air quality, temperatures were expected Wednesday and Thursday to reach a stifling 39 C.

Authorities warned of reduced visibility due to blowing. The Saudi Press Agency reported “low visibility is going to be less than one kilometer.”

A spokesman of Saudi Arabian Airlines told Arab News, “There are no flights delaying for today, the situation is under control.”

People outdoors, including students on their way home from, suffered from the airborne sand.

A spokesman for Bugshan Hospital reported an increase in patients complaining of breathing difficulties because of the sand. It is recommended that people outdoors should cover their faces to avoid harmful particles.

It is also recommended that individuals with breathing difficulties remain at home and use air purifiers.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 12,2020

Riyadh, May 12: Saudi Arabia will impose a full-day lockdown and curfew across the Kingdom during the upcoming Eid holidays from May 23 until May 27, according to the Kingdom’s Interior Ministry.

Details are awaited

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News Network
March 25,2020

Riyadh, Mar 25: A 46-year-old man died of coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, becoming the Kingdom’s second death, according to a health ministry’s spokesman.

The health ministry recorded 133 new infections, bringing the total to 900.

Of those newly confirmed cases, 18 are associated with recent travel, and were placed in quarantine upon their arrival in the Kingdom, the spokesman said.

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Agencies
May 31,2020

Riyadh, May 31: Over 90,000 mosques in Saudi Arabia reopened their doors to worshippers on Sunday morning after over a two-month closure as part of an ease in the curfew restrictions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The worshipers were allowed to enter the mosques, except the mosques in Makkah, from Fajr prayers today morning (Shawwal 8) with a limit of 40 per cent capacity.

The reopening of mosques was be undertaken in accordance with the guidance of Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Abdullatif Al Asheikh, and in line with advice issued by the Senior Council of Ulemas.

The ministry has embarked on a vigorous media campaign to urge all worshippers to abide by preventive measures for their own safety to curb the spread of Covid-19.Among the instructions are doing ablution at home, hand-washing and using sanitisers before going out to the mosque and after coming back home.

On Saturday, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has approved opening the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah in stages to the public.

The elderly and those with chronic diseases are advised to perform their prayers at home. Reading and reciting the Holy Quran online is advised, too, from one's own mobile phone or at least reading from a privately owned copy of the Holy Quran.

Bringing one's prayer mat to perform prayers in mosques is highly recommended as well as keeping a two-metre distance between one another prayer.

Accompanying children under the age of 15 to the mosques is prohibited. Putting on a face mask and avoiding shaking hands and other contact is also recommended.

Meanwhile, the ministry managed, during the closure of mosques, to undertaking a massive cleaning, sanitising and maintenance drive in all mosques Kingdom-wide, according to world-class standards and best known practices. This included sanitising over 10 million mosques, 43 million copies of several sizes and volumes of the Quran, more than 600,000 Holy Quran cupboards, in addition to repairing and maintaining about 176,000

water closets, annexed to mosques.

 

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