Haj missions shut in holy cities: Bid to curb illegal offices

February 3, 2015

Riyadh, Feb 3: Saudi Arabia has asked several countries to shut down their Haj missions in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah in the off-season, in a renewed bid to curb the mushrooming of illegal offices in these cities.

Haj missions

The Haj missions would be allowed to operate during the Haj season for four months from Shawwal to Muharram every year.

“A circular has been received by the Pakistani mission in this regard,” said Khayyam Akbar, deputy chief of mission at the Pakistani Embassy, Monday. Akbar said the Ministry of Haj had instructed the embassy to open its offices only during the four months stipulated.

An official source said that “several offices, neither allowed by the Saudi government nor associated with foreign diplomatic missions, have sprung up illegally in the three cities, making money through unscrupulous agents.” The move is to close down these operators, he added.

Asked about the status of Indian Haj missions in the two holy cities, B.S. Mubarak, consul general at the Indian Consulate, said that “a circular from the Saudi side has been received.” He said India would comply with the decision.

“We have already removed the signboards from our Makkah mission, while our Haj office in Madinah has fallen under the Madinah demolition zone.” Mubarak said that India would limit the operation of its Haj missions to four months as per the provisions.

Indonesia, which operates its Haj mission in Jeddah, has two offices in Makkah and Madinah, said Ahmed Dumyati, Indonesian Haj consul.

Dumyati said “the Indonesian Haj mission in Jeddah is part of its Jeddah Consulate.”

“We have posted a caretaker to look after our office in Makkah, which is currently closed; while our building in Madinah is also not occupied,” said the Indonesian official.

Several other diplomats contacted by Arab News said they also received the circular. Pakistan, India and Indonesia are among the five countries that send the most pilgrims and workers to Saudi Arabia.

These countries together with several other Muslim states maintain and operate dozens of Haj offices in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah. Most of these offices also offer residential facilities for diplomats and foreign guests, who fly to the Kingdom throughout year, especially during the Haj season.

Saudi diplomatic missions abroad issue about 8 to 9 million Haj and Umrah visas every year.

Umrah visas represent 55 percent of the total visas issued by the 112 Saudi diplomatic missions and 12 temporary Saudi Haj missions abroad. The ministry of Haj currently deals with about 5,000 private companies including diplomatic missions for Haj and Umrah.

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Oman sultan Qaboos dies: State media

Agencies

January 11,2020

Muscat, Jan 11: Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said has died, Aljazeera reported citing state television on Friday.

Qaboos was 79-year-old and was ill for a long time. He has served as the ruler of Oman since 1970 when he ousted his father in a bloodless coup.

Qaboos had no children and has not publicly named his successor.

Sultan Qaboos travelled to Belgium for a week in December for what was described then as "medical checks." He returned to Oman but speculations of his deteriorating health were rife.

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No more than 10K pilgrims for Hajj 2020. Here are the protocols

News Network

June 23,2020

Riyadh, June 23: Saudi Arabia has decided to go ahead with the Hajj pilgrimage with strict health measures and protocols in an effort to prevent the spread of covid-19.

Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Muhammad Saleh Benten today addressed a joint virtual press conference today.

Minister of Hajj expected that number of domestic pilgrims performing the pilgrimage this year will not be more than 10,000. He also confirmed that no pilgrims from outside the Kingdom will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.

Dr. Al-Rabiah said pilgrims should be less than 65 years of age and not suffering from any chronic diseases.

The Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, will this year only welcome a “limited number” of people from inside the Kingdom, authorities had said on Monday.

Every year, about 2.5 million pilgrims visit the holiest sites of Islam in Makkah and Madinah, which could make it a possible breeding ground for the disease.

To prevent COVID-19 from spreading among pilgrims, the health ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, has developed the plan to ensure the safety of all visitors.

“We have worked with the Ministry of Health to develop preventative and precautionary measures and protocols that are needed to ensure a safe Hajj season,” Benten said.

Protocols:

1. No more than 10,000 people will be allowed to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

2. All pilgrims will be tested before they reach the holy sites.

3. Only those under the age of 65 will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.

4. All pilgrims will be asked to self-quarantine after they complete the Hajj rituals.

5. All workers and volunteers will be tested before the Hajj pilgrimage begins.

6. The health status of all pilgrims will be monitored daily.

7. A hospital has been prepared for any emergency that occurs during the pilgrimage.

8. Social distancing measures will be enforced.

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Please check its 1000 or 10,000

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'You'll be made to leave': UAE princess slams NRI for Islamophobic tweet on Tablighi Jamaat

News Network

April 18,2020

Apr 18: Taking a strong notice of Islamophobia on social media, Princess Hend Al Qassimi, a member of the royal family of United Arab Emirates, called out a series of tweets by a user named Saurabh Upadhyay.

Upadhyay had posted tweets attacking Muslims over the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in March in Delhi that led to surge of coronavirus cases cases in India. He also gave into rumours of muslims ‘spiting on food’ to spread the virus.

Princess Qassimi shared the screenshots of his tweets and warned that those engaging in racism and Islamophobia will have to pay penalty and will be made to leave UAE. Upadhyay has apparently deactivated his Twitter handle now.

Responding to his earlier posts, she though the ruling family of UAE is “friends with Indians”, his rudeness was “not welcome”.

“All employees are paid to work, no one comes for free. You make your bread and butter from this land which you scorn and your ridicule will not go unnoticed,” she wrote.

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