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#2746 [Permalink] Posted on 11th August 2013 15:44
 
Electronic grouping of Umrah pilgrims
 
to prevent chaos

 
Thursday 8 August 2013

The Ministry of Haj and Umrah Affairs has for the first time launched an electronic system for grouping Umrah pilgrims leaving the Kingdom to avoid confusion and delays in their departure schedules.

Bandar bin Muhammad Al-Hajjar, minister of Haj Affairs, has directed all Umrah service providers to strictly adhere to the mechanism for total grouping of worshippers during this season. The system will ensure that reservations are scheduled on the agenda of the Civil Aviation Department to avoid delays in pilgrims’ departure after performing the holy rituals.

Teams handling the system will constantly monitor the electronic bar code of group lists to detect violations. Whoever commits an error in the groupings operation, be it Umrah companies or airlines, will bear full responsibility of lodging and accommodating, as well as finding alternative reservations for Umrah pilgrims to ensure that they leave the country in an organized manner.

The ministry has issued clear and strict instructions to all Umrah companies that they should comply with the regulations and directions. It also urged them to implement the systems and laws in place to ensure total electronic grouping of all Umrah pilgrims. It stressed on the need to ensure that all buses reach the designated airline gates six hours prior to scheduled departure time of the flight.

Hajjar personally went through all the procedures of the Ministry and its staff to ensure that all departures are on time and without any problem. These arrangements, he said, are in the best interest of Umrah pilgrims so that they can leave the country smoothly and get back to their homelands safely without facing any inconvenience.

Undersecretary of Haj Ministry, Issa Rawas, explained that the directions issued by the ministry emphasized on the importance of organized work during this Umrah season, saying this can be accomplished by correct implementation of the electronic grouping system.

Giving details of the mechanism, Rawas said the first step is to make sure that the flights are included in the lists of Civil Aviation, which is essential for final grouping of pilgrims, and not to rely on boarding cards.

“The mechanism involves submitting an application for the departure grouping through the automated system of the Umrah of each bus that the company wants to move to the airport. The application should be submitted 24 hours before the scheduled departure time,” he said, adding that any application submitted before the defined time frame will be disregarded.

The undersecretary said the system will check out the scheduled time of the flight on the list of Civil Aviation. “Once the application is approved, the company will get a response from the electronic system according to the bar code which represents the reference number of the application.

“Follow up and supervision committees in Makkah will coordinate with Umrah companies so that the supervisor can read all the bar codes of departures after receiving the lists of flights of each company concerning passengers and their baggage, and all the other details,” he said.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation said that it was operating and handling all flights without delay across terminals of King Abdul Aziz International Airport. It said that all Umrah Pilgrims were being moved to the Northern and Southern lounges, while other passengers were being shifted to departure lounges to accommodate the increasing number of visitors leaving the country, particularly during the last 10 days of Ramadan and Eid vacation, when traffic is at its peak at the airport.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/460615
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#2747 [Permalink] Posted on 11th August 2013 15:45
10 Umrah pilgrims die,
27 others hurt in road accidents


Thursday 8 August 2013

Nine people died and eight were seriously injured on Tuesday in an accident involving five vehicles carrying Umrah pilgrims on the Makkah-Allaiyth Coast Road in Al-Shuaybah.

Thirteen first-aid team paramedics transferred the victims to Al-Noor Specialized Hospital in Makkah for treatment, while Civil Defense rescued other victims trapped in a taxi involved in the crash.

In an unrelated crash, another Umrah pilgrim died and 19 injured in a traffic accident on the Hijrah road in Madinah. The pilgrims, all from Egypt, were on their way back after performing Umrah.

A tire on their bus burst, causing the vehicle to turn upside down. Seven of the injured remain in critical condition.

Seven Red Crescent ambulances moved the casualties to area hospitals. Meanwhile, an ambulance was hit by a cab while it was driving to the scene. The ambulance crew sustained minor injuries.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/460610
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#2748 [Permalink] Posted on 11th August 2013 15:46
Umrah season fuels market
 
demand for smartphones
 
Saturday 10 August 2013

High demand for smartphones and tablets raised communication device sales to SR100 million in the past 10 days of Ramadan.

Due to the high demand of communication devices by Saudis as well as Umrah performers, Hadhari Hammam, chairman of the board director of Asr Al-Jawal group, said that the cost of communication device sales increased despite the sharp drop in the number of Umrah performers.

Arab News spoke to Saudis and other expats who found smartphones and tablets the best gift to be given in Eid.

Samer Al-Rashedi, a Jordanian businessman who works in Saudi Arabia, said that the new generation became more demanding for expensive gifts like mobile devices and tablets.

“The prices here are lower than the prices of smartphones and tablets in Jordan. This is why I decided to buy these gifts from here and send them to my kids in Jordan,” he said.

He added, “I heard that tough competition in the Saudi mobile market has forced the companies to present special offers, and this is exactly the reason why Saudis and expats alike prefer to buy mobile devices and smartphones from the Kingdom.”

In Egypt, the prices of mobile devices and tablets is also high compared with the prices in Saudi Arabia where the cost is lower by 30 percent.

Samar Khafagi, an Egyptian teacher who came to spend Ramadan in Makkah, said Apple’s iPhone 5 sells in Makkah for SR2,400, while in Egypt the same device cost SR3,000.

“Such a big difference in the prices is affecting the demand for sure. I called my brother and told him about the difference in prices, so he asked me to buy a tablet for him too,” he said.

She added, “This is the second time I am visiting the Kingdom. The first time was in 2011 and this time in 2013, the prices of smartphones and tables are fixed and there is no unreasonable increase even after the Arab Spring. This is actually a positive phenomenon, and buying these devices in Egypt is prohibitively costly.”

Layla Bu Hassan, a Tunisian skin expert who works in Saudi Arabia, said that she had bought three smartphones and two tablets for her relatives in Tunisia. She said that due to the black market, prices in Tunisia are increasing continuously.

“After the revolution all prices increased, and smartphones prices increased sharply, which is why my relatives asked me to buy different smartphones for them from Saudi Arabia. Despite the inflation, smartphones prices in the Kingdom seem to be stable and controlled. There is no black market for these devices, and the offers presented by mobile companies are very competitive,” she said.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/460809
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#2749 [Permalink] Posted on 11th August 2013 16:23
 
Holy Mosque - Masjid al Haram



2 August 2013

 
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#2750 [Permalink] Posted on 11th August 2013 16:29
 
Quba Mosque in Madinah

___________________

Eid Al Fitr

40 000 worshipers in the streets leading to Quba mosque

40 ألف مصل يزحمون الشوارع المؤدية إلى مسجد قباء

08-09-2013 10:53 AM

طيبة اليوم - عبدالمجيد الدويني - المدينة المنورة :

ازدحمت الشوارع المؤدية إلى مسجد قباء صباح أمس بالأهالي الراغبين في أداء صلاة العيد، ما تسبب في اختناقات السير، وامتدت صفوف المصلين إلى التقاطع المجاور لمسجد قباء والشوارع المحيطة به.

فيما حرص فرع وزارة الشؤون الإسلامية والأوقاف على توفير أفضل الخدمات للمصلين داخل المسجد وساحاته، إذ وفرت ماء زمزم المبرد لهم في عدد من الأماكن داخل المسجد، بالإضافة الى برادات المياه في ساحات المسجد، وتوفير العشرات من أجهزة التكييف الحديثة وكذلك علب الماء في ساحات المسجد.

وقدر متوقعون أعداد المصلين بقرابة أربعين ألف مصل من الذكور والإناث لم يتسع المسجد على الأقل للنصف فقط.
وشهدت ساحات مسجد قباء حضورا مكثفا لكافة الجهات الحكومية والتي استعدت منذ وقت مبكر ليستعد المصلين لصلاة العيد.

من جانبه، أشار عدد من المصلين الذين أدوا صلاة العيد في قباء أنه من المفترض أن يكون هناك استعداد أكبر لتنظيم دخول السيارات وتنظيم أماكن للمصلين بدلا مما حصل صباح أمس حيث اكتظ المصلون بشكل عشوائي.

وذكروا أنه من المفترض تحديد أماكن مسبقا وخاصة فيما يتعلق بالنساء، مشيرين إلى أن الزحام المروري أدى إلى سد الشوارع منذ وقت مبكر واضطر المصلون للصلاة على بعد أكثر من 500 متر من المسجد وهذا منظر غير حضاري.

وأشارو إلى أن الجميع يعلمون أن مسجد قباء يعد ثاني مسجد يقصده الأهالي بعد المسجد النبوي الشريف رغم أن مساحته كبيرة حيث يستوعب 20 ألفا من المصلين إلا أن العدد الذي أتى يفوق هذا الرقم بأضعاف، موضحين أنه كان المفترض أن يكون هناك تنسيق مسبق من قبل كافة الجهات الأمنية والمرور وغيرها بحيث يستطيع كافة المصلين أداء صلاتهم بكل راحة وطمأنينة وانسيابية. وكان الشيخ صالح المغامسي أم المصلين في مسجد قباء، وأشار في خطبته إلى أهمية التزاور بين الأقارب وصلة الرحم، ودعا الشيخ بأن يتقبل الله من المسلمين صيامهم وقيامهم وتضرعهم في رمضان.

Google translation: 08-09-2013

Jammed the streets leading to the mosque of Quba yesterday morning Balohala the wishing to perform the Eid prayer, causing traffic jams, and stretched the rows of worshipers to the intersection next to the Quba Mosque and the surrounding streets.

With keen Branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments to provide the best services to the worshipers inside the mosque and its precincts, as provided Zamzam water radiator them in a number of places inside the mosque, in addition to water coolers in the plazas of the mosque, and the provision of dozens of air conditioners and modern as well as cans of water in the streets of the mosque.

And as Mtoukon numbers nearly forty thousand worshipers serum of male and female did not accommodate the mosque, at least for a half only.
Saw Yards Quba Mosque intensive presence of all government agencies and braced since the early to prepare for the Eid prayer worshipers.

For his part, pointed out a number of worshipers who performed Eid prayers at Quba it's supposed to be a greater willingness to regulate the entry of cars and organize places for worshipers rather than what happened yesterday morning, where overflowing with worshipers at random.

And mentioned that it is supposed to locate in advance, especially with regard to women, pointing out that traffic jams led to the streets since the dam early and forced worshipers to pray after more than 500 meters from the mosque and this view is not civilized.

And Oharo that everyone knew that the Quba Mosque is the second mosque meant parents after the Prophet's Mosque Although the area is large in terms accommodate 20 thousand worshipers, but the number who came exceeds this figure doubles, explaining that he was supposed to be there prior coordination by all parties security, traffic and other so that all worshipers can perform their prayers in comfort and tranquility and smooth. Sheikh Saleh was Sh or the worshipers in the mosque of Quba, pointed out in his sermon to importance التزاور between relatives and kinship, called Sheikh to accept God Muslims fasting and they and Tdharahm in Ramadan.


________________________

Attributed the temperature rise to the hustle and hotter weather
«Islamic Affairs» stop denies fans and air at Quba Mosque


أرجعت ارتفاع درجة الحرارة فيه إلى الزحام وسخونة الطقس
«الشؤون الإسلامية» تنفي إيقاف مراوح وتكييف مسجد قباء


23 July 2013

نفى مدير فرع وزارة الشؤون الإسلامية والأوقاف في المدينة المنورة الدكتور محمد الخطري، أي إيقاف للمراوح والتكييف القديم داخل مسجد قباء، مرجعا ارتفاع درجة الحرارة داخل المسجد إلى ارتفاع درجة حرارة الطقس التي تشهده المدينة المنورة في الصيف عموما، إضافة إلى الزحام الكثيف في المسجد من قبل المصلين والزوار خلال شهر رمضان.

وذكر الخطري أن مسجد قباء يأتي في المرتبة الثانية من ناحية الإقبال عليه لأداء الصلوات الخمس والتراويح لكسب الأجر والثواب باعتباره أول مسجد أسس في الإسلام ويعد من المساجد التاريخية، مشيرا إلى أن فرع وزارة الشؤون الإسلامية والأوقاف واجه الحرارة المرتفعة بالانتهاء مؤخرا من تركيب (30) مكيفا وزعت داخل المسجد والساحة الخارجية استجابة لمطالب المصلين، (16) مكيفا داخل قسم الرجال وأربعة مكيفات داخل قسم النساء فيما خصصت (10) مكيفات للمظلة الخارجية التي تم الانتهاء من تركيبها جوار المسجد من الجهة الغربية لوقاية ما يقارب (600) مصلي من أشعة الشمس أثناء أدائهم للصلوات في الساحة الخارجية.

وذكر أنهم اكتفوا بتركيب المكيفات من الثلاثة الجهات التي تحيط المظلة نظرا لأن الجهة الرابعة مقابلة لأبواب المسجد من الجهة الغربية، وتجنبا لضيق الممر وإنهاء الزحام أثناء خروج المصلين، متوقعا أن تسهم هذه المكيفات في الحد والتقليل من ارتفاع درجة الحرارة داخل المسجد والساحة الخارجية.

وكانت «عكاظ» تلقت شكوى من بعض المصلين من أهالي المدينة المنورة والزوار تتضمن ارتفاع درجات الحرارة داخل مسجد قباء أثناء أدائهم للصلوات الخمس والتراويح، وأبدوا تضجرهم واستيائهم الشديد من الوضع الراهن، مشيرين إلى أن المراوح في الرواق لا تعمل والتكييف القديم مقفل، إضافة إلى أن المكيفات (دولاب) التي تم تركيبها مؤخرا داخل المسجد والساحة الخارجية معطلة.

يذكر أن هيئة تطوير المدينة المنورة أجرت مع فرع وزارة الشؤون الإسلامية والأوقاف بالمنطقة خلال الأشهر السابقة، دراسة من خلال إحدى الشركات المتخصصة تتضمن توسعة مسجد قباء والساحات المحيطة به ضمن مشروع كبير تطوير منطقة قباء والتي استمرت قرابة عام وشارفت على الانتهاء.

http://www.okaz.com.sa/new/Issues/20...0723622649.htm

Google translation: 23 July 2013

Denied the branch manager of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments in Medina Dr Mohamed Alkhatri, any stop for fans and air conditioning old inside the mosque of Quba, a reference temperature rise inside the mosque to the high temperature weather that seen in Medina in the summer in general, in addition to crowding thick in the mosque by worshipers and visitors during the month of Ramadan.

The Alkhatri to Quba Mosque comes in second in terms of popularity it to perform the five daily prayers and Taraweeh to earn reward as the first mosque established in Islam and is one of the historic mosques, pointing out that the branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf and faced the heat to finish the recent installation (30) adapted distributed inside the mosque and the outer response to the demands of worshipers, (16) adapted inside the men's section and four air inside the women's section with allocated (10) Air umbrella of Foreign Affairs, which was completed installed next to the mosque from the western side to prevent nearly 600 worshipers from the sun during the the performance of prayers in the foreign arena.
He said that they were satisfied with the installation of air-conditioners of the three parties that surround the canopy because the fourth interview for the doors of the mosque from the west, and to avoid a narrow corridor and ending hustle during the worshipers, and expected to contribute to these air conditioners to reduce and minimize the temperature rise inside the mosque and the scene of Foreign Affairs.

The «Okaz» received a complaint from some worshipers from the people of Medina and visitors include the high temperatures inside the Quba Mosque during the performance of the five daily prayers and Taraweeh, and showed Tdjarham and deep dissatisfaction with the status quo, pointing out that the fans in the gallery does not work and HVAC old locked, in addition to the air conditioners (flywheel) that have been recently installed inside the mosque and the outer code.

It is noteworthy that the Madinah Development Authority conducted with the branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments in the region during the previous months, a study by a specialized company include expansion of Quba Mosque and the surrounding squares within a large project development Quba region, which lasted nearly a year and is nearing completion.










 
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#2751 [Permalink] Posted on 11th August 2013 16:33
 
Temporary Mataf - Cooling spray fans





 
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#2752 [Permalink] Posted on 11th August 2013 16:37
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#2753 [Permalink] Posted on 13th August 2013 15:25
 
SR300 billion projects under way in Makkah


Holy city of Makkah.
Sunday 11 August 2013

Makkah is witnessing mega-development projects at a combined cost of more than SR300 billion, according to Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar.

“The city is enjoying enormous support from the country’s leaders,” he says.

Al-Bar said the public transport project, including metro and buses, will make Makkah a smart city that is attractive for investors and end traffic bottlenecks during Umrah and Haj seasons.

A ministerial committee, lead by the Makkah governorate, is supervising the public transport project.

The ministers of municipal and rural affairs, transport and Haj are members of this committee.

The mayor said earlier that the SR62 billion public transport systems would bring about a dramatic improvement in the transport of pilgrims and citizens in the city.

The first phase of the project, costing some SR25.5 billion, would start by the middle of next year.

“The value of Makkah projects is estimated at SR300 billion. Of these, SR100 billion are governmental projects,” he added.

All projects are in a construction stage.

They include ring roads, transport stations and parking lots as well as other private sector projects.

Other projects, belonging to the Ministry of Finance and King Abdulaziz Road, will be launched soon, he said.

The Makkah Oasis for Affordable Housing Project contains 4,332 housing units.

Of these, 523 units were delivered and 2,000 others completed and partially delivered.

The project, as a whole, will be completed soon, he said.

The affordable housing project is a new model adopted and implemented by the Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon), which has a new project in the industrial zone of Jeddah, the mayor added.

On criticisms leveled against prices of housing units in the project, Al-Bar said: “A flat covering an area of 120 square meters at a cost of SR250,000 is suitable. Prices are truly affordable as they start at SR150,000 for a flat.”

On the delay of payment of compensations for the expropriated properties, Al-Bar said the concerned committee was keen to iron out all obstacles in this regard as promptly as possible in coordination with all related bodies.

The mayor, however, admitted the existence of stalled projects in some provinces affiliated to Makkah governorate due to poor performance of some contractors.

In general, no stalled projects are found within the holy city of Makkah, he said.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/460872
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#2754 [Permalink] Posted on 13th August 2013 15:26
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#2755 [Permalink] Posted on 13th August 2013 15:27
 
Temporary Mataf .. empty

2 Shawwal 1434

 
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#2756 [Permalink] Posted on 13th August 2013 15:28
 
Airlines who leave pilgrims stranded
 
to be banned
 
Monday 12 August 2013

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) will ban airliners not committed to returning pilgrims to their original countries within the specified time schedule, sources have said. The companies must submit a regular manifest, a list of the names of the pilgrims coming to the Kingdom ahead of time; otherwise fines will be imposed on them.

For purposes of assessment and the evaluation of Haj operations and services, and in view of past experiences, all instructions and regulations of airliners should guarantee the return of pilgrims to their original countries, said a GACA memo distributed among all national and international carriers operating in the Kingdom. The memo was also distributed to travel and tourism agencies and service providers at Jeddah and Madinah airports.

The statement explained that the authority endorsed specifications and standards of air safety applicable by the European Aviation Safety Agency.

“Any carrier registered on the black list of this agency will be prohibited from operating to and from Saudi Arabia, unless the carrier proves it has taken the corrective measures to lift the ban,” said the authority.

More than 1.5 million Haj pilgrims come by air to visit the holy sites.

“This ban is bound to prompt all related agencies in the country to create the right conditions and circumstances to welcome pilgrims, and provide the integrated care and services by all public and private sectors,” GACA said. “They should ensure pilgrims’ safety from the moment they arrive until their return to their home countries.” Every year the authority issues specified directions concerning pilgrims arriving by air so as to regulate operations of carriers, and complete all procedures of their arrivals and departures in a safe and regulated and manner.

The directions in place specify mechanisms of implementation, and set out the procedural steps for submitting applications for operating and the controls governing them. It ensures the scheduling of flight trips and allocates the numbers of airspace reservations and their approval as well as the requirements of air safety and operations in order to get the necessary permits.

The directions that the authority issues specify as well the technical controls and requirements of air operations applicable to all flights — carrier or charter.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/461003
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#2757 [Permalink] Posted on 13th August 2013 15:29
 
Eid extravagance is 'unIslamic', say scholars

 
Monday 12 August 2013

Scholars have condemned the lavish spending by some Muslims to celebrate Eid and during the weeks following the holidays, noting that it is forbidden in Islam. They said that spending activities during the past three days have gone “beyond the limits.”

“Running behind materialism is haram in Islam,” said Musaddeq Al-Amri, an Islamic scholar. “On special occasions, especially during the Eid festival in Saudi Arabia, the rich spend lavishly on expensive clothes, food, gifts and so on to show off their wealth. This is unacceptable in Islam.”

Al-Amri said that after paying Zakat, helping the poor and fulfilling one’s fard (Islamic term for religious duty), when a rich person wishes to spend on something important for himself, not with the intention of showing off his wealth, then it is acceptable. “We are taught as Muslims to be happy with what we have,” said Al-Amri. “Eid is an occasion when most people —irrespective of their class — want to be known as having the best.”

Al-Amri quoted an incident where he was invited for lunch on the Eid day with friends whom he usually meets at the mosque.

“The feast was extremely grand, although the host was not very rich. There was a huge crowd invited, numerous dishes were served and to add to that, waiters were hired to serve the guests.”

He added: “Later, while we were talking, the host revealed that he had borrowed some money from a colleague to organize the feast and that he has time to repay it. Upon hearing this, I got a shock and I figured what my topic will be for my next sermon at the mosque.”

Scholars denounce the habit of borrowing money in order to spend for petty reasons.

“An Eid celebration with new simple clothes, little food and loved ones around is very much appreciated and accepted by the Almighty. It is not a necessity to spend abundantly to show off or compete with others,” said Mohammed Ghassan, imam at a mosque.

“A verse in the Qur’an teaches us to live our lives according to our means,” said Sheikh Riyad Hakim, another Islamic scholar. “There is no harm in aiming for the sky, but if you cannot afford it, don’t go for it.”

Hakim advises that one must not compare oneself to those higher than one, rather than those lower than one. “An example is the famous advice: If you don’t have shoes, look at those who don’t have feet and be grateful to the Almighty.”

http://www.arabnews.com/news/460999
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#2758 [Permalink] Posted on 13th August 2013 15:30
 
Cut in number of local pilgrims
 
to raise Haj cost


Mina
Monday 12 August 2013

Domestic pilgrims fear they will have to pay more after the recent decision by the Ministry of Haj to reduce the number of pilgrims by 50 percent.

The decision has angered local Haj companies. Eighty companies took their complaints to court. Other companies are threatening to increase the cost of Haj per individual to cover the big deduction in pilgrims’ number.

Minister of Haj Bandar Hajjar said that a new strategy would be followed to keep prices at a normal level.

Fayez Al-Hamed, a Saudi citizen who performs Haj every two years, said that domestic Haj companies usually increase the prices. This year he had been told to postpone his booking until the company had determined the new prices.

“I used to perform Haj with a local company owned by my cousin. There is a little increase in the prices each year. Such an increase is reasonable for everyone, since the annual inflation rate is estimated at 5 percent. This year, when I asked about the new prices, they said these had not yet been determined but could amount to an increase of 50 percent,” he said.

Abdullah Ghazi, the owner of a local Haj company, said that the ministry’s move is legal and welcomed by all companies since there is a need to reduce the number of pilgrims. However, he criticized the strategy to reduce the number of pilgrims in each company.

“Every year the companies took pilgrims after the ministry evaluated the company’s performance and capacity in the previous year. Such a strategy is fair enough. The new strategy would reduce the share of each company to 50 percent. That is unfair and would mean big losses for each company,” he said.

“Most local companies are now planning to increase the prices by 50 percent. This is unhealthy for the Saudi market. High prices would stop pilgrims from performing Haj. Moreover, the number of pilgrims coming from abroad would be reduced by 20 percent. This would influence local religious tourism.”

Beside Haj companies, hotels are also looking to increase the prices during Haj to cover expected losses.

“We determine the prices based on general factors like the inflation rate, peak times, expansion works at the holy sites, and the number of pilgrims. This year we suffered big losses because the visa period was reduced to 15 days only. Many Umrah performers preferred to spend these 15 days at the homes of relatives or in the holy mosque. Because of these losses, we are planning to make the best of Haj season,” said Samer Salama, a receptionist at a three-star hotel in Makkah.

“Most hotels are now determining their new prices, and these will not be issued till they are sure of the Haj Ministry’s decision on the reduction in the number of pilgrims.”

http://www.arabnews.com/news/460994
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#2759 [Permalink] Posted on 13th August 2013 15:31
 
Best Western opens in Makkah

11 August 2013

Best Western International has announced the opening of its first property in the Saudi Arabian holy city of Makkah.

Located in the cultural centre of Makkah, just a few minutes’ drive from the Holy Mosque, Best Western Plus Bakkah Awan Hotel is perfectly situated for the millions of pilgrims visiting the city, said a statement.

The hotel features a range of upscale facilities including a restaurant, coffee shop, kid’s club and business centre. There is also a shuttle bus service offering transfers to the Holy Mosque.

The hotel’s 152 rooms come equipped with modern amenities such as cable television, coffee and tea making facilities, safes and refrigerators. Several adjoining rooms are available for larger groups and families, and internet is free in all areas of the hotel.

“Tourism in Saudi Arabia is booming. Religious and pilgrimage travel is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the industry, and Makkah is at its heart,” said Glenn de Souza, Best Western’s vice president international operations – Asia & the Middle East.

The opening of hotel marks the latest phase of the company’s rapid expansion in the Middle East. Only last year Best Western launched its first hotels in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Jordan, and this year the company debuted in Kuwait.

By the end of 2015, Best Western plans to be operating at least 3,600 hotel rooms across 22 properties in eight Middle Eastern countries, the statement said.

http://www.tradearabia.com/news/TTN_240816.html
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#2760 [Permalink] Posted on 13th August 2013 15:32
 
Pickpocket arrested at Prophet’s Mosque


Pilgrims are shown sleeping inside the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah in this photo contributed by Sofia Adam
Thursday 8 August 2013

The Prophet’s Mosque security forces arrested a 28-year-old Egyptian who was pickpocketing a sleeping worshipper inside the mosque.

Police seized five cell phones, SR1,900 worth of cash, 20 Egyptian pounds and two SMS cards. He was transferred to police headquarters.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, a teenager fell to his death from a mountain in Al-Ashira, Madinah police said.

Madinah police Col. Fahd Al-Ghannam said the department received a call from the Quba police precinct in Madinah, saying that Al-Miqat Hospital reported that a 17-year-old boy had suffered from deep abdominal injuries and fractures to his hand and ribs. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The boy’s companions told police they were hunting on the mountain. “He slipped and fell from a height of 12 meters while going up the mountain carrying a hunting gun,” one boy said.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/460609
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