SR500m given back to victims of bogus Haj operators

September 15, 2016

Jeddah, Sep 15: The Ministry of Haj and Umrah returned nearly SR500 million to 48,400 people who had fallen prey to unscrupulous companies that falsely claimed that they could organize Haj for those desiring to perform the pilgrimage.

haj

About 45 such fraudulent companies were identified.

Ministry sources described the move as a significant “achievement,” not for the ministry alone, but for all authorities involved in Haj management, including security authorities.

In a related move, Haj and Umrah Ministry spokesman Hatem Qadi said more than 256,000 people were arrested at 21 ports for not having the necessary Haj permits and 100,000 vehicles were prevented from transporting undocumented pilgrims.

He said these results point to the high levels of accomplishments achieved because of coordination and planning that began three months before Haj.

He said what made this Haj clearly different was the use of modern technology to serve pilgrims, including the electronic bracelet, which enabled easy access to information and decision making.

The bracelets enabled rapid identification of pilgrims, especially helpful for those who do not speak Arabic, and helped the ministry identify their accommodations and personal information to provide guidance and assistance.

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Shaima umar farooq
 - 
Thursday, 15 Sep 2016

Masha Allah gud work done by saudi gov

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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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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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News Network
April 10,2020

Dubai, Apr 10: Saudi Arabia reported 364 new coronavirus cases and three new virus-related deaths, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday.

The total number of confirmed cases in the Kingdom is 3,651, out of which 2,919 are currently active, the ministry added.

Out of the new cases, 90 were recorded in Mecca, 78 in Medina, 69 in Riyadh, and 54 in Jeddah, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the number of fatalities rose to 47, while th number of recoveries reached 685.

The daily number of confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia has not peaked yet, and has been rapidly accelerating.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health had said earlier this week that four different studies showed that the number of coronavirus cases in the Kingdom could reach between 10,000 to 200,000 within weeks.

The ministry spokesman emphasized the urgent need for citizens and residents to remain at home and maintain social distancing practices to ensure that the virus does not spread further.

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