1. Home
  2. Saudi Arabia: Eid holidaymakers head to Madinah and Jeddah

Saudi Arabia: Eid holidaymakers head to Madinah and Jeddah

October 4, 2014

Jeddah, Oct 4: Many citizens and residents are using the Eid holidays to spend time in Madinah and Jeddah.

Eid-holidaySaudis have also gone to Dubai for the vacation, while expatriates have headed heading home to their loved ones.

In the downtown area of Balad in Jeddah, many bachelor expatriates were seen on Thursday taking taxis and Saudi Transport Company buses to their destinations.

However, sources said that many tour operators had canceled trips to Madinah because there was little accommodation available and a shortage of buses because of the Haj. Dhul Hijjah 1 to 10 are considered one of the peak holiday periods in the Kingdom.

Most expatriates prefer to stay close to the Prophet's Mosque on Qurban Road where furnished apartments and other informal operators charge between SR600 and SR700 for a room accommodating a family of four. This has been a 100 percent hike from SR300 before the holidays.

“A few weeks ago I rented two rooms for SR350 for a relative from Riyadh, but now I'm paying SR750,” said Rashid Puli, a social worker and long-term resident of Madinah.

Opposite the Prophet's Mosque in Abizar Street, owners of furnished apartments have also hiked their prices by 100 percent and are charging SR750 for a single room.

Many Asian expatriates who have been running accommodation businesses in the Sultana area will see their buildings demolished to make way for the expansion of the Prophet's Mosque.

Meanwhile, those heading to Jeddah can expect to find some entertainment and relaxation at the corniche.

The municipality has also made elaborate arrangements for Eid prayers at 247 musallahs and mosques in various locations in the city including the waterfront area. It has also cleaned up parks and other public areas for Eid.

“Eid is the only occasion that I can step out with my siblings and enjoy the atmosphere at a musallah,” said Reem Al-Ghamdi, a Saudi student.

“I really enjoy attending Eid prayers at these areas with my family,” said Nashra Rania, who is from India.

Noormian, a Bangladeshi expatriate, told Arab News that he would be celebrating by sacrificing, skinning and cleaning a sheep.

Mohammed Al-Boqmi, spokesperson of Jeddah Municipality, said that 6,000 workers would be deployed to clean public areas.

There would be Eid prayers at three mosques at the corniche. Fatima Zahra Mosque in North Obhur and Al-Anani mosque at the corniche are popular for Eid prayers.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance in Jeddah has said that Eid sermons would be delivered at all the selected mosques and musallahs in the city. Talal Al-Aqeel, director of the ministry in Jeddah, said there would be Eid prayers at 42 musallahs.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 19,2020

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates today reported 873 new coronavirus cases, pushing the total number of COVID-19 infections in the country to 25,063.

Three more people have died from the virus, bringing the total death toll to 227, the ministry revealed, adding that a total of 1,214 COVID-19 patients have made full recovery, which takes the overall number of patients recovered to 10,791.

The latest coronavirus patients, all of whom are in a stable condition and receiving the necessary care, were identified after conducting more than 38,000 additional COVID-19 tests among UAE citizens and residents over the past few days, the ministry said.

It expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to all patients, calling on the public to cooperate with health authorities and comply with all precautionary measures, particularly social distancing protocols, to ensure the safety and protection of the public.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com news network
August 3,2020

Sharjah, Aug 3: A 24-year-old Indian engineer has fallen to death from the sixth floor of a residential building on Eid al-Adha in the UAE's Sharjah, a media report said on Monday. 

The electrical engineer, identified with his single name Sumesh, hailed from the south Indian state of Kerala.

He lived in a building in Al Dhaid in Sharjah, from where he fell to death on Friday, the report said, adding that he was apparently talking over the phone and threw it down minutes before the incident.

Sumesh, who came to the UAE a year ago, worked as a designer in Sharjah's Muwaileh area. His roommates said that he had some "personal issues" that had been "bothering him for some time", according to the report.

"It was Eid al-Adha and our cook had made biryani for us. We were all cracking jokes and having a good time. In fact, even Cuckoo (Sumesh) was also laughing with us. He seemed happy. Nobody had anticipated this. I did sense a few times that something was troubling him and I even asked him about it, but he brushed it off," the report quoted his roommate Dileep Kumar as saying.

Shans KF, another roommate, said Sumesh was to travel to India for his annual leave but could not because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The police have launched an investigation and moved the body to the forensic lab for an autopsy.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
May 14,2020

Dubai, May 14: As many as 242 beggars of different nationalities have been nabbed by the Dubai Police since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.

Among those arrested, 143 were men, 21 were women and 78 were hawkers, said the police. "An anti-begging campaign was launched, especially to find beggar hotspots, to combat the negative phenomenon," said Colonel Ali Salem Al Shamsi, director of the anti-infiltrators department at the Dubai Police.

"Strict warnings have been issued to beggars to refrain from exploiting the sentiments of people during Ramadan," he added.

Col Al Shamsi also called on the public to stop helping them with money. "The public must direct those in dire straits through proper channels in order to get support from charitable institutions."

Col Al Shamsi also urged residents to report begging activities by calling 901 or through the Dubai Police app's 'Police Eye' feature.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.