Makkah News and Updates

Umrah application date extended

 

07 July 2013 - 28 Shaban 1434 H

JEDDAH – Emir of Makkah region Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is the Chairman of the Ministerial Committee Supervising public transport in the region, will witness here on Sunday the signing of a contract to provide consultative services for the management of the public transport project in Makkah.

The Makkah Public Transport Project was approved by the King in August 2012. It is a comprehensive public transport design and build project that includes metro, bus rapid transit, express bus, feeder bus, all the associated infrastructure and Intelligent Transport Systems.

The project will be implemented in three phases over 10 years with a budget of SR62 billion. The tender pre-qualification process for Phase 1 is scheduled to start in December 2013. Phase 1 will consist of approximately 40 km of metro lines of which 20% will be underground. It will also includes bus rapid transit, express bus, feeder bus and all the associated infrastructure and Intelligent Transport Systems. The whole of Phase 1 is planned to be completed in four years.

Mayor of Makkah Dr. Osama Fadhl Al-Bar said this will be the first contract in the public transport project in Makkah. He said the contract will be with a British company.

Dr. Al-Bar said the public transport project in Makkah is divided into two sections – the first is the metro trains for serving pilgrims and Umrah performers.

It will be carried out by Makkah Trains and Makkah for Public Transport.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130707172631 Sunday 7 July 2013

Last Update 7 July 2013 3:02 am

The SR 62 billion new Makkah public transport system, including a metro with four lines and 88 stations and a fast bus service network, will bring about dramatic improvement in transport of pilgrims and citizens in the city, said Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar.

He said the first phase of the project, costing around SR 25.5 billion, would begin by the middle of next year. It will be completed in three years.

There will be underground lines in areas surrounding the Grand Mosque until the third ring road, while the lines beyond that region will be built on suspended bridges, he said.

The first phase includes construction of a 30-km line from Um Al-Qura University in Abidiya to Sayeda Aisha Mosque.

Al-Balad Al-Ameen, a company owned by the Makkah Mayoralty, conducted a technical study on the metro, which will be implemented by Makkah Railway Company.

Systra, a French consultancy, and BW Engineers from Germany are also involved in the project.

The bus service will be integrated with the metro system, Al-Bar said, adding that the speedy bus service would link various parts of the city, covering 60 km with 60 stations.

There will be a local bus service to areas not covered by the metro and speed bus network.

The local buses will cover 65 km between the Grand Mosque and surrounding residential districts.

In addition, there will be feeder bus services for the metro system. He said the public transport scheme is to be completed in 10 years in three phases.
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal will launch a two-day workshop on the project at Jeddah Hilton today.

A consultancy service contract will be signed with a British company for project management.

The governor has set up a 11-member committee, chaired by Deputy Gov. Abdul Aziz Al-Khodairy, to monitor the project. Al-Bar also disclosed plans to implement a project to link the Mashair Railway with Makkah in Shesha and the Haramain Railway station in Rusaifa.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/457288

7 July 2013 - 28 Shaban 1434 H

RIYADH – The Supreme Court has called on all Muslims in the Kingdom to sight the crescent of the blessed month of Ramadan on Monday evening, Sha’aban 29, corresponding to July 8.

In an announcement made Saturday morning, the Supreme Court also said that whoever sees the crescent of the holy month of Ramadan by the naked eye or through binoculars to report to the nearest court and register his testimony, or report to the authority of the region’s governorate if there is no judge in the area where he sighted the crescent.

Meanwhile, UAE astronomers have said that Ramadan will begin on July 10, UAE daily The National reported on Saturday.

According to Hasan Al-Hariri of Dubai Astronomy Group, the Ramadan crescent would first be seen on the evening of July 9, which means the first fasting day will be July 10.

“It’s not a matter of reliability, it’s science. It’s mathematics. One plus one equals two,” Al-Hariri told The National.

“And science today has become so beautiful, so simple and so interesting. Anybody with a smartphone can download Google Sky, hold their phones to the moon and see it for themselves.”

The astronomy expert also said most GCC countries tend to follow Saudi Arabia’s announcements as “we believe the GCC should be unified.”

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130707172635

7 July 2013 - 28 Shaban 1434 H

MAKKAH – The government and private authorities have completed their preparations to provide the best services to Umrah performers and visitors to the Grand Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

Emir of Makkah region Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said the services focus on security, safety, health and hygiene of the Guests of Allah.

Deputy President for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque Sheikh Muhammad Nasser Al-Khuzaim said that 8,500 workers have been deployed to carry out these services.

He said that the completed parts of the King Abdullah Expansion Project in the northern section of the Grand Mosque will be used for prayers. These parts form 70 percent of the ground floor and about 20 percent of the first and mezzanine floors.

There will be electrical wheelchairs for the physically challenged and special passages for them. The temporary elevated passage around Mataf will be opened for wheelchairs. The 12-meter wide elevated passage will separate the physically challenged from other Umrah performers.

Al-Khuzaim said that field committees have been formed to carry out inspection tours to the markets and shops. The municipality has increased the number of cleaners by 2,000 to bring the total to 8,500 workers provided with different machines and tools.

The municipality has also formed a number of teams equipped with over 350 spraying devices and compressor trucks.

The cleaning teams work around the clock in shifts. About 170 garbage compressor boxes have been readied. Out of these, 45 are in the Central Area.

The municipality has prepared temporary parking lots at the gateways to Makkah. They are provided with lighting. Security men have been deployed to maintain order. Transport to and from the Haram will be provided.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130707172634

7 July 2013 - 28 Shaban 1434 H

MAKKAH — Some 3,000 young Saudis have volunteered to provide services to Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

The services they are expected to provide include first aid, guidance, interpretation, delivery of iftar (fast-breaking) meals and any other assistance the pilgrims may need while visiting the Grand Mosque.

Ibrahim Al-Zahrani, who regularly joins iftar services at the mosque, said it was a great honor to be part of the team rendering services to the visitors of the Haram during Ramadan.

Mohammad Al-Otaibi has been a volunteer pushing wheelchairs of elderly and sick pilgrims for eight years continuously. Despite the fatigue from pushing wheelchairs amid huge crowds of people within the mosque complex, he feels contented, especially when a visitor supplicates for him.

Saleh Al-Zahrani has volunteered through Al-Ihsan charitable society and considers it a great honor to serve visitors to the Grand Mosque. He says the joy and happiness when a stranger from a far-off corner of the world supplicates for him is indescribable.

Wesam Fatani, a volunteer for two years, provides first aid services to visitors and cannot forget some very emotional situations he has experienced.

He said once a Yemeni visitor was walking toward the Zamzam coolers to drink. He slipped and hit his head on the floor and passed out. His wife and two daughters were alarmed, and Fatani along with some colleagues administered first aid on the Yemeni and were able to revive him.

Abdullah Al-Otaibi said he was overwhelmed by happiness when he was selected to serve pilgrims and visitors to the Haram.

Al-Otaibi said a visitor once handed him a child who was lost. He searched for more than two hours until he could find the child’s mother and handed him to her. He said he listened with great satisfaction when the mother supplicated for him.

Al-Otaibi encourages all young men to volunteer to their services to visitors to the holy city.

The Haram mosque is the focal point of the Haj and Umrah pilgrimages and millions of Muslims from around the world visit the sprawling prayer complex throughout the year.

The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, and is required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford the trip.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130707172583

7 July 2013 - 28 Shaban 1434 H

MAKKAH — The Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs has established a specially-equipped laundry for cleaning rugs spread across vast areas of Masjid Al-Haram (the Grand Mosque) in Makkah.

The head of the cleaning department in Al-Haram, Sultan Al-Qurashi, said the laundry has the most advanced equipment to clean 75 meters of carpet an hour.

He said cleaning the rugs begins with the removal of dust by special equipment. The rugs are then washed using detergents and then dried with the help of machines.

The last stage of the cleaning process is placing the rugs on metal stands under the sun for three days.

He said the maintenance of the rugs includes removing loose threads and sewing of the ends. He said the laundry consists also of water tanks and facilities for the employees.

It is customary for the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques to replace the rugs with new ones at the beginning of each Ramadan. The presidency has also established a special department to monitor and follow up the cleaning and maintenance of the Haram.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130707172584

Sunday 7 July 2013

The Makkah Municipality has all the necessary resources and services in place to ensure a healthy and safe environment for Umrah pilgrims during Ramadan.

This was the assurance Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar gave in an interview with Arab News recently. He expects an estimated 2.5 million foreigners to visit Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan this year.

Al-Bar said 8,500 workers including supervisors, drivers, sweepers and others would ensure the city is kept clean and free of diseases. A fleet of 350 garbage trucks and other equipment will be deployed around the clock.

A total of 170 pressurized garbage containers and 45 regular containers have been placed around the Grand Mosque to deal with garbage causing foul odors.

The municipality has appointed 13 teams to spray insecticides in pools of water across the city.

Al-Bar said there are strict measures in place to ensure the six abattoirs across the city are clean. Each abattoir has a furnace to burn animal waste.

Veterinarians at the slaughterhouses examine animals before and after slaughtering to ensure good meat is supplied to the market. Butchers are fined for failing to meet health standards, said Al-Bar.

He said all roads and the 55 tunnels are monitored to ensure smooth flow of traffic. The lighting system is also regularly checked.

He said six parking areas around the city have mosques, toilets and proper water supply.

Two teams consisting of 10 people each with vehicles and ambulances are ready to handle medical emergencies.

Al-Bar said it was an honor to serve visitors to the city, particularly during Ramadan. There are also offices available to deal speedily with any complaints, he said.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/457283

Sunday 7 July 2013

Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman yesterday opened an exhibition of 34 public and private agencies participating in the celebrations marking the selection of Madinah as Islam's cultural capital.

The exhibition in Aqeeq will continue until July 12. Prince Faisal toured the show and was briefed on its various exhibits, including photographs and models of various projects.

During the event, Prince Faisal received a check from the general secretariat of the yearlong celebrations as a donation to the Takaful Charitable Society for the Care of Orphans.

Prince Faisal instructed officials in the region not to buy him mementos, but to donate the cash to various charities.

Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, opened the festivities in March. Prominent Muslim scholars, historians and intellectuals took part in the opening ceremony.

The idea to choose a city in the Arab and Islamic world as the capital of Islamic culture for a year on a rotational basis, was introduced by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in 2005. Makkah was chosen as the first capital of Islamic culture.

Prince Faisal is the chairman of the supreme organizing committee. Minister of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Khoja is deputy chairman and Imam of Quba Mosque Sheikh Saleh Al-Mighmasi is the committee’s secretary-general.

About 400 activities will be held to mark the occasion. They include an exhibition on an area of 1,800 square meters displaying the various stages of the holy city’s history.

Students at Taibah University's art department displayed their work at an art show recently, as part of the university’s participation in the celebrations.
Taibah students displayed 1,000 pieces of art highlighting the significance of Madinah. Adnan bin Abdullah Al-Mazroue, the university’s president, opened the show.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/457280

 

Pilgrims visit Al-Baqee cemetery