Four million perform hassle-free Umrah
MADINAH: ARAB NEWS Tuesday 18 June 2013 The Haj Ministry has issued 4,727,960 Umrah visas, of which 4,068,387 foreign pilgrims have already arrived in the Kingdom. Mohammad Al-Bijawi, director of […]
Haj 2013: Fewer pilgrims likely
JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS Tuesday 11 June 2013 The Haj Ministry is currently planning to considerably reduce the number of foreign and domestic Haj pilgrims this season, a reliable source has […]
World-class Madinah pilgrim city to house 200,000 faithful
JEDDAH: P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR ARABNEWS Tuesday 11 June 2013 A state-of-the-art pilgrim city will be established in Madinah on an area of 1.6 million square meters along Hijrah Road with […]
Umrah visa’s validity limited to two weeks
JEDDAH: SIRAJ WAHAB ARABNEWS Sunday 9 June 2013 The Haj Ministry has decided to limit the validity of Umrah visas to only 14 days because of the ongoing work to […]
High-tech strategy for Haj at final stage
EDDAH: P. K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS STAFF Thursday 11 April 2013 The Haj Ministry is currently giving final touches to a 25-year strategic plan that would bring about […]
Saudi Arabia: 10.77 million visas issued last year
RIYADH – Saudi diplomatic missions abroad issued a total of 10.77 million visas last year. “This is a record figure compared to previous years, and the increase was 13.6 percent over 2011 and 79.7 percent over 2005,” said Assistant Foreign Minister Prince Khaled Bin Saud Bin Khaled. Speaking to the […]
Mataf expansion work in full swing
JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS Friday 4 January 2013 Works on mataf (circumambulation area around the Kabaa) expansion is being stepped up, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported. The second floor of the eastern side […]
Mataf expansion to double current capacity
MAKKAH: ARAB NEWS A vast expansion project for the mataf, (the circumambulation space around the Kaaba), is currently under way. The new mataf when completed, after three years, will accommodate […]
Haj ‘ihram’ prices soar; China leads in production
JEDDAH: ARABNEWS Shoppers in Jeddah say ihram-clothing prices have risen and they differ from one shop to another. “Every year there seems to be an ihram “fashion trend” as I […]
Six million foreign pilgrims performed Umrah
JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS Monday 20 August 2012 Around six million foreign pilgrims have traveled through the Haj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah during this year to perform […]
Fair selection process in place for Nizam’s free rubat accommodation in Makkah
JEDDAH: AFSHAN AZIZ | ARAB NEWS STAFF Wednesday 15 August 2012 It’s a dream of every Muslim to visit Makkah for Umrah or Haj. But religious pilgrimage in a foreign […]
New crowd management plan for Haram area
JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS Saturday 11 August 2012 A new plan of operation for effectively managing crowds during the Haj and Umrah seasons will divide the areas close to the Haram […]
Umrah performers with health issues need to take care
TAIF: MOHAMMAD MURAD ARABNEWS Thursday 2 August 2012 Umrah performers and visitors to the holy sites need some health tips to perform the Islamic rituals safely and stay healthy. Considering the enormous number of worshippers who come to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, it is no surprise that […]
4.8 million pilgrims perform Umrah
ARAB NEWS Wednesday 1 August 2012 JEDDAH: About 4.8 million foreign pilgrims, from a total of six million, have performed Umrah this year, according to Haj Minister Bandar Hajar. He made this statement after inspecting services being extended to pilgrims by various government agencies in Makkah. Since the beginning of […]
Saudi woman offers helpful man her daughter in marriage
Young man’s character impressed the woman so much she wanted him to marry her only daughter By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief GULF NEWS Manama: A Saudi mother was so impressed with the character of a young man that she wanted him to marry her only daughter. Halima, 70, was performing […]
2.5 million throng Two Holy Mosques
MAKKAH: ARAB NEWS Sunday 22 July 2012 More than 2.5 million people attended prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah on Friday, the first […]
Two Holy Mosques ready for Ramadan
JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS Sunday 15 July 2012 Preparations for the Grand Mosque in Makkah and Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to receive millions of pilgrims and visitors are in place. Head […]
Ministry OKs emergency plan for holy cities
JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS Wednesday 11 July 2012 Interior Minister Prince Ahmed approved the Civil Defense plan to tackle emergency situations in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan […]
Madinah: Central Haram area to be tripled
JEDDAH: HASSAN CHERUPPA arab news staff Islam’s two holy mosques are witnessing the largest ever expansion in their history. After launching the massive expansion works of the Grand Mosque in […]
Six cable car routes planned for Makkah
By MAKKAH: ARAB NEWS The Center of Excellence for Haj and Umrah Research at Umm Al-Qura University has recommended the introduction of cable cars linking the Grand Mosque with three […]