The gate symbolizing the border of Madinah Haram.

By MUHAMMAD HUMAIDAN | ARAB NEWS

Published: Nov 27, 2011 22:31 Updated: Nov 27, 2011 22:31

JEDDAH: Any doubts or disputes on the boundaries of the Haram (sacred precincts) of Madinah are now considered resolved with the approval by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah of the recommendations of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars.

The council recommended that the existing boundaries be preserved without any change.

The committee was set up last year to examine the borders of the Haram of the Prophet’s city when questions were raised on the matter.

The royal approval was given after Grand Mufti and Chairman of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh endorsed and submitted the recommendations of the committee, which was approved by the majority of the council.

The committee’s recommendations included leaving the signposts at the borders without any change as determined by a previous committee in 1969. That committee’s report on the Haram borders was implemented with the approval of the late Grand Mufti Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al-Asheikh.

On the basis of the report of the present committee, the council did not see any justification to the demand to review the present borders.

The committee had come in to its conclusion after extensive studies and discussions with researchers and experts, a source said. The council also viewed that any change to the borders would invite unnecessary disputes and cause confusion among the people, a source told Arab News.

The Haram border committee appointed by the council included Sheikh Abdullah bin Suleiman bin Manie as its chairman with members Sheikh Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Mutlaq, Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Mubaraki, and Sheikh Muhammad bin Husain Al-Asheikh.

http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/offbeat/article539530.ece

 

02 December 2011 - 07 Muharram 1433

MAKKAH – The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque will play a key role in the committee supervising the Tawaf Area (Mataaf) expansion project.

The project will increase the capacity of the Tawaf Area from the current 50,000 pilgrims per hour to 130,000 per hour. The Presidency will cooperate with construction companies to ensure the continuity of Tawaf and that there is enough space for worshippers to pray in safety.

“The presidency will ensure the project meets its deadline of three years from now. The project will be carried out at the highest level of quality and solutions will be put in place to make up for the reduced capacity of the Tawaf Area during the construction of the project,” said Dr. Yusuf Al-Wabil, Assistant Undersecretary of the presidency.

The presidency’s plan will specify the routes, entrances and exits leading to and from the Grand Mosque.

“The plan will not disturb the course of the expansion plan. At the same time, there has to be space for those performing Tawaf,” he said.

Al-Wabil said the Maqam Ibrahim (Station of Ibrahim) and the Black Stone will not be affected by the expansion plan.

“The capacity of the Mataaf will not be affected, as the project will be carried out in the Old Haram. However, the entrances and exits to and from the Tawaf Area will be narrowed to some extent and there will be less space for people, as the area to be demolished can accommodate 100,000 people.”

However, the presidency will make space in other areas to compensate for the demolished area, Al-Wabil said.

“The Old Haram is being photographed and we are numbering the project zones. The project will kick off with the registering of the number ‘zero’ marking the departure of the last pilgrim from the Kingdom,” he said.

The project will be largely carried out by Saudi firms, with two German companies responsible for the isolation work and the pumping out of the dust resulting from the demolition.

The Dean of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Haj Research, Dr. Abdul Aziz Sarooji, described the Mataaf expansion project as a “qualitative change that would end the problem of crowding in the Tawaf Area”.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20111202113091

 

موسوعة المملكة إنجاز كبير يدعم برامج التنمية الشاملة و الحوار الحضاري مع الآخر (واس) 7/1/1433هـ 02/12/2011

By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS

Published: Nov 28, 2011 00:56 Updated: Nov 28, 2011 00:56

JEDDAH: The first encyclopedia on Saudi Arabia in Arabic language with 20 volumes will be unveiled next Sunday by Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah during a ceremony to be held at the King Abdul Aziz Public Library (KAAPL) in Riyadh.

Faisal bin Muammar, general supervisor of KAAPL, described the encyclopedia as “a major cultural and scientific achievement,” adding that the work took nearly 10 years to complete. He disclosed plans to translate the work into English and other world languages.

He said the encyclopedia containing the history and development of Saudi Arabia would give a good picture of the Kingdom and its important position at Arab, Islamic and international levels.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has given utmost attention to the encyclopedia project. “We are honored to present the first copy of this encyclopedia to King Abdullah, supreme chairman of the library’s board of directors,” he said.

Muammar added: “This is one of the fruits of King Abdullah’s efforts in support of this library, which has been playing an important role in spreading culture and knowledge.”

He said the work would be available on the Internet through a special website. “We also intend to translate this encyclopedia into major world languages in the near future,” he added.

The encyclopedia will be reprinted after every five years to include new changes and developments that take place in the Kingdom. “At the same time, it will be updated continuously on the website. Moreover, an updated encyclopedia on CDs will be made available every year,” he added.

Muammar thanked regional governors for the support and cooperation they provided to the team of researchers and writers who brought out the work. “We have allocated one volume or more for each region of the Kingdom,” he pointed out.

The encyclopedia covers geographic features of each region, its history and development, historical sites, social and traditional specialties, natural resources, wildlife, tourist resorts and attractions and its religious, cultural and economic importance.

“This encyclopedia gives comprehensive knowledge about the Kingdom with maps and statistical figures and will be an excellent reference for students and researchers,” Muammar said, adding that it is written in a simple language.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article539594.ece

 

موسوعة المملكة إنجاز كبير يدعم برامج التنمية الشاملة و الحوار الحضاري مع الآخر (واس) 7/1/1433هـ /02/12/2011


Al-Anqari praises launch of Saudi Arabia Encyclopedia

First edition of Saudi Arabia Encyclopedia

By ARAB NEWS

Published: Dec 3, 2011 01:34 Updated: Dec 3, 2011 01:48

RIYADH: Khaled Al-Anqari, minister of higher education, Friday lauded the issuance of the first edition of Saudi Arabia Encyclopedia, describing it as a comprehensive work to introduce the homeland of the two holy mosques and highlight its development over the years.

In a statement to mark the event, Al-Anqari said Arab libraries would now be enriched by this work. The encyclopedia will provide accurate information covering all historical, geographical, education, economic and cultural fields for its readers and researchers.

Not only Arab readers and researchers but other countries also need to have correct profile of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he said.

This giant project is yet another cultural addition to the Saudi achievements under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article542201.ece


Arabic :http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewphotonews....34031_3042.jpg
 

 

5 December 2011

JEDDAH – King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) is preparing to receive a high volume of Umrah season flights for the Hijri month of Rabi’ Al-Awwal, 1433H (Jan. 24, 2012), an official at the Haj Terminal said.

The last batch of Haj pilgrims will leave on Muharram 15 (Dec. 11).

“This season is expected to witness a larger number of Umrah pilgrims. The last Haj pilgrims’ flights will depart from the airport to Pakistan on Muharram 15.”

The General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) said: “The number of Umrah pilgrims who departed the Kingdom via the Haj Terminal at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz Airport in Madina has already reached 1.4 million.”

Of these, 1.16 million pilgrims departed from the Haj Terminal in Jeddah on board 4,545 flights. About 143,000 out of 150,000 Indonesian pilgrims have returned home; 110,000 out of 135,000 Pakistani pilgrims have returned; 64,000 out of 85,000 Turkish pilgrims have returned; and 90,000 out of 94,000 Indian pilgrims have returned home, GACA said.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20111205113225

A screen grab of the Rasoolullah channel on YouTube

By SULTAN AL-TAMIMI | ARAB NEWS

Published: Dec 4, 2011 21:40 Updated: Dec 4, 2011 22:06

JEDDAH: A new Youtube channel on the life, teachings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), is now online. Rasoolullah YouTube channel creators launched the video channel on the first day of the new Hijri year 1433, attracting hundreds of views already.

Rasoolullah channel creator Abdullah Saeed Al-Asmari told Arab News on Saturday: “The channel is made possible by the group effort of volunteers. Inshallah it will feature a series of episodes covering topics such as known supplications, Hadiths, and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). All of these will be in Arabic with English subtitles.”

Al-Asmari, who is currently studying a communications major in Iowa in the US, has been involved with the traditional media for the past 10 years.

“Posting through Youtube gives you the chance to communicate better with your target audience. Also, feedback is instant when you use the Internet. The new generation is moving toward new media, Twitter, Facebook and others as opposed to traditional media,” said Al-Asmari.

Al-Asmari said Youtube provides a platform for startup video content, and gives the chance to see instant feedback from viewers.

“Feedback from viewers is important as it will allow us to make changes and improvements our audience will like and appreciate. Personally I am very optimistic over this project as we have received good moral support from many people, including some who offered some financial support,” said Al-Asmari.

“The second episode will be online very soon. We also have noticed that there aren’t many audiobooks published from the Arab world.

“Our team have published along with the channel a downloadable audiobook of parts of Ibn Kather’s books; also an audio book for children in Arabic as well as in English.”

http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/offbeat/article543095.ece

Rasoolullah YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/Rasoolullah?feature=mhee

Another view...But I think its too late for this.

 

الرياض- «الرياض»

قدّم الأستاذ "فهد بن حمد المبارك" مقترحاً هندسياً جديداً لتوسعة المطاف تصل إلى ثلاثمائة ألف طائف في الساعة، وذلك مقارنة برؤية الفريق الهندسي المكلف بإعداد تصميم المطاف، والتي تصل طاقته الاستيعابية إلى 130,000 ألف طائف في الساعة.

وقال: إن كلمة خادم الحرمين الشريفين -حفظه الله- للفريق الهندسي: "مكة أغلى من أرواحنا" هي رسالة إلى جميع المسلمين في العالم من أن المملكة لن تألو جهداً لتنفيذ أفضل المشروعات؛ لخدمة ضيوف الرحمن مهما بلغت التكاليف، إلى جانب توجيه الفريق الهندسي ببذل الجهد للوصول إلى أفضل تصميم يسهل على الحجاج والمعتمرين أداء نسكهم؛ ولهذا يجب على الفريق الهندسي أن يتمتع برحابة الصدر لقبول الأفكار والمقترحات التي تزيد من كفاءة التصميم المقدم وتدارك ما يمكن تداركه قبل الشروع في التنفيذ؛ إذ إن رقم 130,000 طائف في الساعة لا يحقق المطلوب في استيعاب الحجاج القادمين من جسر الجمرات والتي تصل الطاقة الاستيعابية له إلى ما يزيد على (300,000 حاج/الساعة)، وبهذا يصبح هناك أكثر من (170,000 حاج) في كل ساعة لا يستطيعون إنهاء الطواف ويتزايد هذا العدد ليصل إلى مليون حاج خلال ست ساعات في وقت الذروة تمتلىء بهم الساحات والطرق وتهددهم مخاطر الاكتظاظ والازدحام، وتزداد هذه الخطورة في حال ازدادت أعداد الحجيج في السنوات القادمة المقبلة.

وأضاف:"من هنا جاءت فكرة تقديم مقترح تطويري للرؤية المقدمة تسهم في رفع الطاقة الاستيعابية للمطاف إلى أكثر من ثلاثمائة ألف طائف في الساعة تستوعب جميع القادمين من جسر الجمرات، حيث يركز المقترح المقدم على الإفادة القصوى من أسطح الحرم ولا يتعرض لأي تغيير أو تعديل في التصميم المقدم في الدور الأرضي أو الدور الأول".

 

إنشاء سيور متحركة في المنطقة المحصورة بمحاذاة المسعى

واشار إلى أن الفكرة المقترحة تتلخص في توسعة السطح الحالي بشكل ثُماني جميل مطل على الكعبة يبتعد عن مركزها من كل الجهات مسافة 75م وبمساحة إجمالية تقارب 73,000م2، إلى جانب إنشاء سطح جديد (سطح المسعى الأخير) مطل على الكعبة ويبتعد عن مركزها من كل الجهات مسافة 85م وبمساحة إجمالية تقارب 68,000م2 مع بناء مسعى جديد إضافي، موضحاً أن هذه المساحات لوحدها تستوعب أكثر من 280,000 حاج بكثافة 2 حاج - المتر وهو ما يجعل الحاج يطوف بيسر وسهولة ودون ازدحام ينهي الطواف في مدة لا تتجاوز الساعة الواحدة.

وكشف "المبارك" أن هناك إشكالية تقف أمام الفكرة المطروحة، وهي إشكالية ضيق المساحة بين المسعى وحد السطح المطل على صحن الكعبة، مما يحدث منخنقاً يؤثر على تدفق وانسيابية الطائفين، ولحل هذا الإشكال يفضل توسعة المنطقة المحصورة، وذلك بتقديم الحرفين المطلين من السطحين على الكعبة لتتوافق مع الدور الأول وتبتعد عن مركز الكعبة فقط 65م ليكون عرض المطاف في كل سطح بين المسعى وحرف السطح أكثر من 35م مع تزويد هذه المنطقة الضيقة بسيور متحركة تزيد من كفاءة استيعاب الطائفين وتسهل مهمة الطواف في السطح، حيث ان وجود السيور المتحركة ترفع من الطاقة الاستيعابية إلى أكثر من الضعف.

وقال:"بهذه الحلول يمكن رفع الطاقة الاستيعابية إلى أكثر من ثلاثمائة ألف طائف/ساعة تستوعب جميع القادمين من جسر الجمرات بيسر وسهولة، والتحكم في أعداد الحجاج وتفويجهم واختيار الكثافة المناسبة (عدد الطائفين/ المتر المربع) التي تجعل من كفاءة إنهاء الطواف مع الزمن في أعلى درجاتها".

وأضاف ان البعض يتوهم أن الحجاج لا يرغبون في السير في محيط دائرة يصل إلى قرابة الخمسة كيلومترات لإنهاء الطواف وهذا غير صحيح؛ فالحجاج إنما يتأذون من الازدحام والاكتظاظ ولا يتأذون من السير لمدة ساعة واحدة في كثافة لا تزيد على 2 طائف/المتر، لا سيما ونحن نعلم أن أكثر من 40% من الحجاج يسيرون من عرفة إلى منى على أقدامهم (ما يزيد عن 15 كيلو متراً)، بالإضافة إلى إمكانية إنشاء سيور متحركة أخرى تختصر المسافة وتسهل على الطائفين طوافهم، متأملاً أن يجد هذا المقترح طريقه للمقارنة مع التصميم المقدم والإفادة من الرؤية المطروحة.

 

مساحة الأسطح تزيد عن 140000م2 تستوعب 280000 طائف

http://www.alriyadh.com/2011/11/09/article681947.html

The need for the Mataf Expansion is much needed.