Madinah, Mar 14: There were no injuries reported after a fire at Prince Muhammad International Airport on Friday. The fire broke out as a result of an electrical short circuit in a women's lounge at an executive office, according to fire safety officials of the airport. Prince Muhammad International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the Kingdom serving as a crucial gateway for pilgrims.
Mount Arafat, July 30: Muslim pilgrims converged Thursday on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat for the climax of this year's hajj, the smallest in modern times and a sharp contrast to the massive crowds of previous years.
A tight security cordon has been erected all around the foot of the rocky hill outside Mecca, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy.
Pilgrims, donning masks and observing social distancing, were brought in buses from neighbouring Mina, state television showed, as Saudi authorities impose measures to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.
They were subject to temperature checks and attended a sermon -- which state media said was translated into 10 languages -- before they set off on the climb to the summit for hours of Koran recitals and prayers to atone for their sins.
The scene was strikingly different to last year's ritual when a sea of pilgrims ascended Mount Arafat, marshalled by tens of thousands of stewards in a bid to prevent any crushes.
After sunset prayers, pilgrims will make their way down Mount Arafat to Muzdalifah, another holy site where they will sleep under the stars to prepare for the final stage of hajj, the symbolic "stoning of the devil".
It takes place on Friday and also marks the beginning of Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice.
The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, is usually one of the world's largest religious gatherings.
But only up to 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom will participate in this year's ritual, compared with 2019's gathering of some 2.5 million from around the world.
"You are not our guests but those of God, the custodian of the two holy mosques (Saudi Arabia's King Salman) and the nation," Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten said in a video released by the media ministry on Wednesday.
Security cordon
A security cordon has been thrown around the holy sites to prevent any security breaches, an interior ministry spokesman said.
Riyadh faced strong criticism in 2015 when some 2,300 worshippers were killed in the deadliest stampede in the gathering's history.
But this year, those risks are greatly reduced by the much smaller crowd.
The pilgrims have all been tested for the virus, and foreign journalists were barred from this year's hajj, usually a huge global media event.
As part of the rites completed over five days in the holy city of Mecca and its surroundings, the pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat after spending the night in Mina.
A district of Mecca, Mina sits in a narrow valley surrounded by rocky mountains, and is transformed each year into a vast encampment for pilgrims.
They began the hajj on Wednesday with their first "tawaf", the circumambulation of the Kaaba, a large structure in Mecca’s Grand Mosque towards which Muslims around the world pray.
The Kaaba is draped in a black cloth embroidered in gold with Koranic verses and known as the kiswa, which is changed each year during the pilgrimage.
Pilgrims were brought inside the mosque in small batches, walking along paths marked on the floor, in sharp contrast to the normal sea of humanity that swirls around the Kaaba during hajj.
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Riyadh, Apr 27: The government of Saudi Arabia has signed a SR995 million (approx. Dh972m) contract with China to provide Covid-19 tests for nine million people in the Kingdom.
The Saudi Press Agency, SPA, reported that the decision came "as a result of a phone call made today (Sunday) between the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Chinese President Xi Jinping."
The contract includes providing necessary equipment and supplies, making available of 500 Chinese specialists and technicians who are specialised in performing tests, establishing six large regional laboratories throughout the Kingdom; including a mobile laboratory with a capacity of performing 10,000 tests per day. Saudi cadres will also be trained to conduct daily tests and comprehensive field tests, under the new agreement
The contract was co-signed by the National Unified Procurement Company and Chinese company Huo-yan Laboratories by Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court, on behalf of the Government of Saudi Arabia, and Chinese Ambassador to the Kingdom Chen Weiqing, as a representative of the Chinese Government.
The contract is one of the largest contracts that will provide diagnostic tests for the novel Coronavirus.
Tests were also purchased from several other companies from the United States, Switzerland and South Korea, bringing the number of available tests to 14.5 million, covering around 40 percent of Saudi Arabia's population, SPA added.
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.
Please check its 1000 or 10,000
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