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Local Haj likely to get 40% cheaper

August 15, 2015

Jeddah, Aug 15: Prices for local Haj packages are expected to drop between 30 and 40 percent this year, according to an official at the Ministry of Haj.

Haj

Most local Haj operators have begun to change their packages after the ministry announced the launch of the online portal for local pilgrims.

According to the source, the portal will help curb the incidence of fake Haj campaigns, ensure the security of pilgrims, combat exceedingly high prices and guarantee the rights of all parties.

Hussain Al-Shareef, deputy minister for Haj affairs, said the portal will allow residents and citizens to easily access licensed Haj companies, as well as obtain clear and transparent information about services provided.

Starting next week, individuals can access the site and register in order to identify services without visiting the company.

He said the ministry has sought to unify the types of services provided in order to assure equality and ensure no companies are overpricing their services.

Prices for local Haj packages under the new system vary between SR5,893 and SR8,146 per person, depending on the group and level, as well as on the form of transportation included. Last year, prices varied between SR8,500 and SR14,500, and often went as high as SR20,000 per person.

According to Osama Al-Filani, president of the National Committee for Haj, the portal includes a number of positive benefits, as it will reduce prices by at least 40 percent this year.

He said it would also allow the ministry to monitor and tighten control over all services provided to pilgrims to ensure there are no violations of regulations and Haj instructions, as well as achieve transparency in the disclosure of prices and eliminate fake offices.

“But the system may contribute to the reduction of competitiveness and development in the sector,” he said, noting that VIP packages do not constitute more than 1 percent of the total allocated places for local pilgrims.

He called for an assessment of the situation and a re-evaluation of the system following the pilgrimage season.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

Kuwait will allow citizens and residents to travel to and from the country, starting August 1, the government communication center tweeted on early Thursday, citing a cabinet decision.

The decision excludes residents coming from Bangladesh, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal.

Last month, Kuwait announced it would partially resume commercial flights from August, but does not expect to reach full capacity until a year later, as its aviation sector gradually recovers from a suspension sparked by the Covid-19 crisis.

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News Network
May 1,2020

Dubai, May 1: Saudi Arabia has reported 1,344 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 24,097, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday.

The ministry also announced 7 more deaths and 392 new recoveries, raising the total number of fatalities and recoveries to 169 and 3,55 respectively.

Out of the 1,344 new cases reported today, 282 were confirmed in Riyadh, 237 in Madinah, 207 in Makkah, 171 in Jubail and 124 in Jeddah in addition to 114 infections in Dammam.

Authorities continue to urge people to stay at home unless necessary despite having relaxed some restrictions and curfews at the start of Ramadan.

Citizens and residents are allowed to go out for necessary needs between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. but must adhere to precautionary measures such as wearing a face mask and maintaining social distancing practices.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Makkah, Jul 31: Organising this year's scaled-down hajj required "double efforts" by Saudi authorities amid the coronavirus pandemic, King Salman said Friday after being discharged from hospital following gall bladder surgery.

Only up to 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom are participating in this year's pilgrimage, compared with 2019's gathering of some 2.5 million from around the world.

"Holding the ritual in the shadow of this pandemic... required reducing the numbers of pilgrims, but it obliged various official agencies to put in double efforts," 84-year-old King Salman said in a speech read out on state television by acting media minister Majid Al-Qasabi.

"The hajj this year was restricted to a very limited number of people from multiple nationalities, ensuring the ritual was completed despite the difficult circumstances," he said.

The speech came on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, a day after the king left hospital following a 10-day stay for surgery to remove his gall bladder.

The hajj, which began on Wednesday, is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.

Authorities implemented the "highest health precautions" during the rituals, the king said.

Pilgrims, who were all tested for the virus, are required to wear masks and observe social distancing.

For Friday's "stoning of the devil", the last major ritual of the hajj, Saudi authorities offered the pilgrims pebbles that were sanitised to protect against the pandemic.

In a sign that its strict measures were working, the health ministry reported no coronavirus cases in the holy sites on Wednesday or Thursday.

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