Tag: hajj

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Over 1.8M pilgrims perform Haj this year

The ministry has prepared the Al-Mishaar Al-Haram Mosque in Muzdalifah, equipping it with air conditioning and a sterilization system, and furnishing it with luxurious carpets…reports Asian Lite News

The Saudi Arabian government announced that more than 1.8 million pilgrims from over 150 countries have performed Haj so far this year.

The General Authority for Statistics said Tuesday said that the number of pilgrims from Arab countries has reached more than 346,000, or 21 per cent of the total, reports Xinhua news agency.

Among the pilgrims, more than 1 million from Asian countries, making up 63.5 per cent of the total, while nearly 223,000 others, or 13.4 per cent , came from African countries excluding the Arab nations.

More than 36,500 pilgrims travelled from Europe, the US, Australia and other unlisted countries to Saudi Arabia, representing 2.1 per cent of the total, according to the General Authority for Statistics. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance announced the arrival of all pilgrims at the holy site of Muzdalifah after descending from Mount Arafat.

 The ministry said that the entry and exit movements of pilgrims to the plains of Muzdalifah was smooth and sound, and they performed the Maghrib (sunset) and Isha (evening) prayers combined at the Al-Mishaar Al-Haram Mosque, following the Sunnah of the Prophet, in an atmosphere of tranquility and peace.

The ministry has prepared the Al-Mishaar Al-Haram Mosque in Muzdalifah, equipping it with air conditioning and a sterilization system, and furnishing it with luxurious carpets.

Meanwhile, worshippers performed Eid Al-Adha prayer in the Grand Holy Mosque, the Prophet’s Holy Mosque and in various other parts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 In Makkah, worshipers performed the prayer in the Grand Holy Mosque, led by imam Sheikh Dr. Yasir bin Rashid Al-Dosari.

 In Madinah, worshipers performed Eid Al-Adha prayer in the Prophet’s Holy Mosque, led by imam Sheikh Dr. Hussein bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh. Governor of Madinah Region Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz prayed at the mosque alongside worshippers.

 Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz and Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz performed the first day of Eid prayer alongside worshippers at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.

ALSO READ-Hajj pilgrims flock to Mount Arafat

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Hajj pilgrims flock to Mount Arafat

 Various government sectors taking part in the Hajj season have provided all medical, emergency and catering services for pilgrims….reports Asian Lite News

Hajj pilgrims on Tuesday began flocking to Mount Arafat. They were accompanied by a direct security follow-up carried out by the personnel of the various security sectors to organize the movement, and guide pilgrims and ensure their safety.

 Various government sectors taking part in the Hajj season have provided all medical, emergency and catering services for pilgrims.

 At sunset today, the pilgrims will start moving to Muzdalifah, where they will perform Maghrib and Isha prayers and will stay there until the dawn of tomorrow, 10 Dhul-Hijjah 1444 AH.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Interior Security Spokesman Colonel Talal bin Shalhoub announced that the first phase of the plan to transport pilgrims to the holy sites during the eighth day of Dul-Hijjah has been carried out with complete smoothness and tranquility.

 The spokesman also said that the transport of pilgrims from Makkah and the Grand Mosque to Mina to spend the day of Tarwiyah (Quenching Thirst) there in preparation for their march to Mount Arafat to perform the pinnacle of the Hajj pilgrimage on the evening of Tuesday, the eighth day of Dul-Hijjah, has completed. He said the ascension of pilgrims from Makkah to Arafat, where they will spend the night of 9th day of Dul-Hijjah has already begun and was ongoing.

 He noted that all security and government agencies are carrying out their duties at the holy sites to ensure a smooth performance of the Hajj rituals according to relevant plans, adding that the Hajj security agencies are moving ahead with their duties in verifying that pilgrims have obtained the necessary permits for Hajj.

 The spokesman said the security bodies will continue to carry out their tasks at all entrances leading to Makkah and the roads and passages leading to the Grand Mosque and impose a tight security cordon around the holy sites until the end of the Hajj season.

 He also said that some people had been caught at the entrances to Makkah and the holy sites for attempting to perform Hajj without a permit, adding that they have been fined and returned according to relevant laws and regulations. He warned that those caught transporting people with no Hajj permits will face a prison sentence of up to six months and a fine of SAR50,000 as well as defamation and deportation if he is an expatriate, and will be prohibited from entering the Kingdom according to the periods specified by law.

 The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Hajj Affairs, Dr. Ayed Algwinm, said that all preparations had been put in place, including well-equipped camps, to ensure that pilgrims perform their Hajj rituals with complete peace and tranquility.

 He explained that 65 percent of the pilgrims had ascended to Mina, with the remaining 35 percent to be headed to Arafat according to their wish, stressing that the ministry is continuing its efforts to ensure the well-being of pilgrims and that they receive high-quality services.

ALSO READ: ‘Largest Hajj in history’ begins

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‘Largest Hajj in history’ begins

This year’s Hajj pilgrimage is set to be the largest, signalling a full return after the years disrupted by Covid-19 pandemic….reports Asian Lite News

The annual Hajj pilgrimage season commenced as millions of pilgrims arrived at the Grand Mosque in Mecca to perform Tawaf Al-Qudum.

Pilgrims today flocked to Mina to spend the day of Tarwiyah (water provision). Various agencies operating during this year’s Hajj season 2023, have already wrapped up preparations for the pilgrims’ arrival in Mina to spend the Day of Tarwiyah on Monday, the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah.

Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah earlier said that this year’s Hajj will be the largest gathering in history, according to Al Jazeera.

Mina, a historical and religious landmark, covers an area of around 7.82 square kilometers, of which 4.8 square kilometers are exploited, representing about 61 percent of the Valley’s area.

The other 39 percent of Mina’s land is composed of rugged mountains with elevations of around 500 meters high above the valley surface.

Tents in Mina are established based on security, safety, and suitability for the surrounding environment, with 30,000 fire-fighting sprinklers and over 3,000 surveillance cameras.

 The tents have 12,000 headphones for guidance and alerts and over 15,000 air conditioning and ventilation units.

 The camps also have toilets, places for wudu (ablution), electrical power distribution equipment, kitchens, and areas for trash.

 Tents in Mina are typically 8 square meters in size but also six by 8 or 12 by 8 meters.

 The masses of pilgrims in Mina enjoy medical and treatment services with 97 ambulance centers affiliated with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority.

 A fleet of 320 ambulances, six air ambulances, nine motorcycles, four golf carts, four medical supply vehicles, 16 response vehicles, and service cars exist for the pilgrims in Mina, supported by 1,288 medical cadres.

Meanwhile, King Salman has issued an order to host 1,000 pilgrims from Saudi families of martyrs who participated in the Determination Storm Operation, as well as 1,000 pilgrims from the families of martyrs from the Yemeni forces.

This initiative is part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program, which is annually supervised by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.

 The Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh, the program has already hosted 4,951 Islamic personalities, influencers, and prominent individuals, as well as families and relatives of martyrs from Palestine, Yemen, Syria, and other nations this year.

The total number of pilgrims hosted under this program, at the expense of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has now reached 62,338. The Ministry has established a comprehensive package of services in Mecca and Madinah to ensure a fulfilling and comfortable pilgrimage experience for all guests.

Medical care

Over 49,000 pilgrims have received medical care services in seasonal health centres and facilities in Madinah since the beginning of the month of Dhul Qaeda, 1444 AH. The Ministry of Health has provided comprehensive medical care services to the pilgrims during their stay in the province of Madinah. Since the beginning of the previous Hijri month, a total of 43,445 pilgrims have received healthcare services in the seasonal health centres near the Prophet’s Mosque and in the central area, as stated by the Ministry of Health.

Furthermore, the emergency departments of hospitals have attended to 5,654 pilgrims during the same period. The medical services in Madinah have included six open-heart surgeries, 88 cardiac catheterizations, 76 other surgeries, and 134 dialysis sessions. 192,552 pilgrims have received health education and awareness services in their hotels, shelters, shuttle buses, and public facilities.

These medical care services complement the comprehensive services by the government to ensure the highest quality standards are met around the clock at all air and land arrival and departure ports during the Hajj season, according to the Ministry.

The Ministry deploys medical personnel at these ports and offers awareness, educational, and field health guidance services to pilgrims and visitors in Madinah before their departure to Mecca for Hajj. On Saturday, the Ministry launched a medical convoy of 16 ambulances to transport pilgrims admitted to hospitals in Madinah to Jabal Al-Rahma Hospital in the Arafat area.

The convoy has a specialised medical team comprising 83 doctors, nurses, and paramedics. Furthermore, four additional ambulances are stationed on the Hijra Highway that connects Madinah and Mecca. These ambulances are supported by two ICU ambulances, an integrated oxygen cabin, a mobile first aid unit, and a bus to transport patients’ escorts.

ALSO READ: MoHAP deploys health teams for Hajj pilgrims at airports

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India’s first all-women Haj flight makes history

The female crew carried out the safety and ground operations before the flight took off and handled the flight dispatch and aircraft maintenance. ..reports Ritika Joshi

The all-women Haj flight departed from Kozhikode, Kerala at 6:45 pm and landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at 10:45 pm. Air India shared images of the smiling all-women flight crew and passengers at the airport.

The Air Indian Express flight IX 3025 had Captain Kanika Mehra and First Officer Garima Passi piloting the flight. They were assisted in the cabin by Sushma Sharma, Bijitha M B, Sreelakshmi, and Subhangi Biswas.

The female crew carried out the safety and ground operations before the flight took off and handled the flight dispatch and aircraft maintenance.

As per Air India, women constitute over 40 percent of the airline’s workforce, and 15 percent of the 1,825 pilots are women, making it the airline with the highest number of female pilots. India also has the highest percent of female pilots in the world at 12.4 percent.

Earlier, the airline made history with its first non-stop flight. The 2021 flight from San Francisco to Bengaluru was flown by four women pilots and was the longest non-stop flight by an Indian airline. The all-women cockpit crew consisted of Captain Zoya Agarwal, Captain Papagari Thanmai, Captain Shivani Manhas, and Captain Akansha Sonaware.

Captain Manhas revealed that the flight almost took 17 hours and Captain Agarwal revealed that the route had saved 10 tonnes of fuel.

In 2020, Captain Zoya Agarwal volunteered to lead rescue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and co-piloted the first rescue flight by Air India. The captain also made history when she piloted the airline’s first Boeing 777 aircraft over the Hindu Kush mountain range.

Captain Zoya Agarwal’s accomplishments made her the first Indian woman to be accepted into the US Aviation Museum. Agarwal is also the only living person to be honoured by the SFO Aviation Museum.

ALSO READ-Indian envoy visits Mecca, inspects Haj arrangements

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Arab News Saudi Arabia

flynas reveals plans to transport more than 100,000 pilgrims during Hajj

The company has completed its preparations to ensure providing the best service and experience to the guests of the Holy Mosque since boarding its aircraft and during the stages of reception and departure after performing the Hajj…reports Asian Lite News

flynas, the Saudi air carrier and the leading low-cost airline in the Middle East, has revealed plans to transport more than 100,000 pilgrims from more than 13 countries during the Hajj season of 1444 AH (2023 AD), bringing the total number of pilgrims and Umrah performers flown by the carrier to more than two million since its establishment in 2007.

The nations from which flynas will transport pilgrims in 1444 AH are spread across Asia and Africa and include Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana, Niger, Comoros, India, Bangladesh, and Kazakhstan.

The company has completed its preparations to ensure providing the best service and experience to the guests of the Holy Mosque since boarding its aircraft and during the stages of reception and departure after performing the Hajj. Also, a specialized executive team will be available and working around the clock from the main operations control center to follow up on the operational processes, meet the pilgrims’ needs, and provide all the capabilities necessary for their comfort in cooperation with the administrations of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, and the concerned governmental authorities.

Gearing up for the Hajj season, flynas has taken delivery in early May of its fourth wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft, boosting the operational capacity and increasing the number of passengers on new medium-to-long-haul destinations, in line with the National Civil Aviation Strategy to reach 330 million passengers and increasing the number of international destinations connected to the Kingdom to more than 250 destinations by 2030.

Through its growth and expansion strategy launched in early 2022, under the slogan “We Connect the World to the Kingdom” flynas aims to reach 165 domestic and international destinations.

flynas currently connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations and has flown more than 60 million passengers since its launch in 2007.

ALSO READ-Flynas gets 5th destination in India

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Arab News

194,000 pilgrims in Madinah post-Hajj

The ministry figures also revealed that thousands of pilgrims left Madinah for their respective countries, while around 80,000 remained in the city…reports Asian Lite News

Around 194,000 pilgrims have arrived in Madinah after completing their Hajj rituals in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Statistics from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah showed that the Madinah immigration center received almost 182,000 worshippers who arrived by bus, more than 8,000 made their way overland to the Land Pilgrim Reception Center and nearly 4,000 traveled on the Haramain high-speed railway.

The ministry figures also revealed that thousands of pilgrims left Madinah for their respective countries, while around 80,000 remained in the city.

This year, the Kingdom allowed up to 1 million people to perform Hajj, welcoming foreign pilgrims for the first time in two years following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions that had forced the annual pilgrimage to be limited to residents of Saudi Arabia.

During their stay, many pilgrims visited the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, located near the Prophet’s Mosque.

The museum, which is open 24 hours a day, offers an introduction to the Prophet Muhammad through displays and interactive screens in a variety of languages. One hall includes rare items and ancient artifacts from the Two Holy Mosques.

ALSO READ-171,000 pilgrims visit Madinah after performing Hajj

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Over 70,000 pilgrims visit Madinah since end of Hajj

Of those pilgrims, 22,744 have left Madinah while the total number of pilgrims remaining in the city stood at 51,076 on Saturday…reports Asian Lite News

73,820 pilgrims of various nationalities have visited Madinah after performing Hajj as of Saturday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Hajj ended on July 12, and many pilgrims who did not visit the holy city before performing the pilgrimage traveled to it afterwards to visit the Prophet’s Mosque and pay their respects to him.

Of those pilgrims, 22,744 have left Madinah while the total number of pilgrims remaining in the city stood at 51,076 on Saturday.

7,347 left the city where Prophet Muhammad is buried through Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport.

60 samples of Zamzam water analyzed daily  

60 samples of Zamzam are taken from various sites at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah daily and analyzed to ensure the safety of the water, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The samples are taken from Zamzam containers, filling points, drinking fountains, and tanks in an organized and continuous manner throughout the day. They are then analyzed to ensure the water is safe and has not been exposed to contaminants.

The laboratory where the samples are analysed is equipped with the best modern technology, and the team that collects the samples and analyzes them is made up of specialist technical staff.

Golf carts help elderly pilgrims in Madinah

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque has set up a transportation service using golf carts to help the elderly reach the mosque’s facilities more easily.

Each golf cart can accommodate six persons, and 40 employees are available to effectuate the transfers, which currently average 800 per day.

About 5,000 people per day are benefitting from the service, and 400 wheelchairs have been made available to visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque. More than 32,000 people have used the golf cart service so far in the post-Hajj season, while over 138,000 people used the service during the pre-Hajj season.

A specialized team prepares and maintains the carts and wheelchairs daily, also supplying the women’s section with wheelchairs in two locations in the new western courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque.

Statistics from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah revealed that almost 74,000 pilgrims of various nationalities arrived in Madinah Saturday evening after performing the Hajj rituals in Makkah.

According to the statistics, almost 23,000 pilgrims left Madinah after Hajj to their respective countries.

ALSO READ: GIFT AFTER HAJJ

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Arab News

GIFT AFTER HAJJ

Pilgrims departing Saudi Arabia after completing Hajj are being gifted copies of the Qur’an at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport.

One million copies of the holy book in different sizes and translations of it in 76 languages will be distributed to pilgrims leaving the Kingdom through land, sea and airports.

ALSO READ:UAE leaders congratulate Saudi King on successful Haj

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Arab News News Saudi Arabia

Saudi to increase this year’s Hajj capacity to 1 million pilgrims

Saudi Arabia has decided to increase this year’s Hajj capacity to 1 million pilgrims from inside the Kingdom and abroad, according to each country’s allocation, and in line with preventive recommendations…reports Asian Lite News

Quoting the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that this year’s Hajj will apply to pilgrims who are younger than 65 years old and who have full immunisation with the basic doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine according to the Saudi Ministry of Health.

Those attending Hajj from abroad must submit a negative PCR test for COVID-19, using a sample taken within 72 hours before departure to Saudi Arabia, it said.

ALSO READ: Saudi extends use of Eatmarna app for Ramadan pilgrimage

The Ministry has stressed that pilgrims must adhere to preventive measures, and must follow precautionary instructions while performing their Hajj duties, to ensure their health and wellbeing. (WAM)

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Saudi Arabia launches visa app for Hajj, Umrah pilgrims in UK

Saudi Arabia is the first country in the world to allow registration of biometrics via smartphones for the issuance of electronic visas…reports Asian Lite News

A new smartphone app that makes it easy for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to apply for visas to enter Saudi Arabia is now available in the UK.

The Saudi Visa Bio app allows applicants to register their biometric data prior to travel and saves them having to visit visa issuance centers. On arrival in the Kingdom, they will only have to match their data with the information stored on the app, which speeds up the border control process.

The app was launched last year by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and is in line with the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to offer the best possible services and facilities for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia is the first country in the world to allow registration of biometrics via smartphones for the issuance of electronic visas.

The service was developed in cooperation with several government agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Presidency of State Security, the National Cybersecurity Authority, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

A launch ceremony was held in the presence of Saudi Deputy Ambassador to the UK Hassan Al-Jamee’ and the Head of the Consular Department at the Saudi Embassy Ammar Al-Ammar.

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