Makkah News and Updates

Sunday 29 June 2014

Civil Defense authorities are on a mission to combat the toxic air emissions that result from the increased influx of vehicles during Ramadan.

“Civil Defense authorities are focusing on improving ventilation and controlling carbon emissions inside Makkah’s tunnels during the holy month,” said Col. Saleh Al-Olyani, Makkah Civil Defense spokesman.

“In fact, authorities have deployed 12 teams to measure toxic air emissions inside 58 tunnels in the holy city around the clock.”

Getting to and from Makkah’s Grand Mosque during Ramadan is a challenge for pilgrims and authorities alike.

The city’s tunnels see a massive influx of cars and trucks, especially in the evening hours following the Ramadan “taraweeh” prayers, exacerbating already high pollution levels.

As such, controlling the rate of emissions inside these tunnels can prove challenging.

Only public transport vehicles are allowed into Makkah’s tunnels during the holy month.

Despite these measures, the harmful fumes emanating from diesel-operated engines pose a health threat to residents and pilgrims.

“The Civil Defense has adopted a comprehensive plan for the management of tunnels around the Grand Mosque, especially during the peak hours before and after evening and taraweeh prayers,” he said.

“Teams will measure carbon emissions rates in order for traffic authorities to be able to streamline the flow of vehicles,” he said. “Authorities plan to prevent vehicle overcrowding.”

Makkah’s 58 tunnels span over 20 km. The city’s municipality recently signed a three-year maintenance contract for these tunnels worth almost SR11 million.

The Souq Al-Sagheer tunnel connecting the Grand Mosque and Umm Al-Qura is considered the most pivotal in easing traffic in the central area.

The tunnel, which has separate lanes for vehicles and pedestrians heading to the mosque, contains 882 sodium lamps, 2,123 fluorescent lamps, 68 jet fans, eight escalators and eight devices for measuring carbon monoxide levels, according to the municipality.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/593946

Sunday, 29 June 2014

MADINAH — The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of the Ministry of Finance is soon to launch the largest project in the Kingdom at a cost of SR55 billion, Al-Madinah daily reported.

The project consists of administrative and residential towers and is expected to result in a positive social and financial return for residents of Madinah.

The project will be executed in two phases; the first phase will prepare the required infrastructure for the project at a cost of SR12 billion, while the second phase will witness the construction of the towers which will begin before the upcoming Haj.

The project, expected to be completed in two years, will be constructed on a 1.6 million square meter area, south of the Prophet’s Mosque, and will be half way between the Prophet’s Mosque and Al-Meeqat and Quba mosques.

It will consist of 20 administrative towers and 80 residential towers more than 30 stories high. It will have a monorail station, restaurants and shops. There will also be a luggage transportation station where pilgrims and visitors can hand over their luggage and receive it when they reach their destinations in their home countries.

The project will have a 400-bed hospital and catering facilities. The administrative towers will have offices for Haj delegates, companies, travel agencies, medical delegates and a number of other dedicated services.

The project will also allow 15 percent participation by the private sector in long-term investments.

Around 120,000 pilgrims well be accommodated in over 40,000 rooms in 76 four- and five-star hotels. The administrative towers will accommodate around 31,000 employees and will have mosques that can accommodate 15,000 worshipers.

The transport station will take around 84,000 pilgrims to and from the Prophet’s Mosque via a monorail.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140629209896

Monday, 30 June 2014
2 Ramadan 1435 H

MAKKAH — For the past 50 years, the cannon that announces when it is time for Muslims to end their day’s fast (iftar) with a resounding boom during Ramadan has always been a familiar sight.

The cannon is located on Al-Madafei (Cannons) Mountain and many residents will not eat unless they hear it.

In addition to iftar time, the cannon fires seven times when the government announces the beginning of Ramadan, and fires daily when it is time for suhoor (the meal before starting the day’s fast), before the Fajr (early morning) prayer and when Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, is announced.

The cannonballs, which are harmless and simply designed to make a loud bang, weigh 1.5 kg each and the smoke that comes from the cannon when it is fired can be seen from a long distance.

An advanced semi-automatic cannon has been used recently where the operator simply places the bomb inside and pushes a button to fire it.

After Eid Al-Fitr, the cannon goes back to its storage location where it will remain silent for 11 months.

The cannon is managed by the security forces and it fires a total of 150 cannonballs during Ramadan.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140630210015

Monday, 30 June 2014 - 2 Ramadan 1435 H

MAKKAH — A Saudi man stabbed two security guards at the Grand Mosque when they tried to stop him from entering with a knife.

Makkah Police spokesman Lt. Col. Ati Al-Qurashi said the guards tried to take away the knife but the man resisted them and stabbed one in his abdomen while slightly injuring the other’s hand.

He said security personnel were able to subdue the man and arrest him. He was taken to hospital, where preliminary tests revealed that he was mentally disturbed.

The security guard who was stabbed in the stomach was admitted to hospital for treatment and the case is still being investigated.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140630210003

Monday 30 June 2014

The Grand Mosque authorities have intensified efforts to address the increasing number of pilgrims and worshippers and to facilitate their performing of rituals inside the mosque.

Most of the pilgrims coming from Asian countries are elderly and the local authorities are paying extra attention to ensure their visit to the holy sites is carried out smoothly and comfortably. Such services include an official translation and brief summary of the Qur'an and Islam after taraweeh prayer.

“We have been providing translation and brief summary and recitation of verses of Qur'an in Taraweeh into Urdu, English, French and Malay languages to foreign pilgrims immediately after the Taraweeh” Walid Al-Saqabi, manager of translation services in Grand Mosque told Arab News on Sunday.

Al-Saqabi added that the translation of tafseer of Qur'an will be available in an area near the King Fahd Gate and will start after the Taraweeh, adding that for some technical obstacle it was not possible to provide live translation of the Qur'an recitation during the prayer, as it is the case during the Friday prayer.

He noted that this service could be possibly expanded in accordance with the demand of visitors to the Holy Mosque, highlighting that special attention will be given to the sick and elderly by providing them with wheelchairs inside the Grand Mosque.
Around 10,500 wheelchairs are available for the use by people who are in need for such service, Mashleh Al-Mahmadi, manager of carts at Grand Mosque, told Arab News, adding that the relevant authorities will increase the number of wheelchairs as needed and all will be offered to worshippers free of charge.

Moreover, this year, authorities are testing 200 electrically operated carts, which will be offered to the pilgrims’ services once they are proven successful and pass the tests, adding that an additional 500 wheelchairs will be available for rent and will be operated by pushers who are authorized to work as such and will be wearing barcoded identification badges with their photos.

Al-Mahmadi said that the barcode system would enable the authorities to trace the wheelchair pusher in case of any violation, adding that the free wheel chairs are available in three locations at eastern part of Grand Mosque towards Ajyad area.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/594426

Monday, 30 June 2014 - 2 Ramadan 1435 H

MAKKAH — Assistant Deputy Head of the Grand Mosque Affairs Mashhoor Al-Menaami said a committee has been set up to prevent spaces being reserved by worshippers in the Haram mosque.

The committee consists of 50 representatives of the Grand Mosque security force and the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques Affairs.

Al-Menaami denied there were gangs that reserve spaces and then rent them to worshippers.

He added that there are other committees to monitor any negative behavior such as begging or pickpocketing inside the Grand Mosque.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140630210009

 

‘Madinah is full of historical monuments’

 

Tuesday 1 July 2014

Travel operators in Riyadh will increase the prices of weekend Umrah packages from SR90 per head to SR160 from Wednesday thanks to the influx of pilgrims during Ramadan.

Demand is expected to be heavy until the end of the Ramadan season.
This year, the peak season coincides with the summer holidays. As such, a large number of vacationers, including Saudis, are expected to perform Umrah.

A leading hotelier in Makkah said that foreign pilgrims are less compared to last year thanks to factors such as the World Cup and the MERS.

“The majority of pilgrims come from the Kingdom, as well as from the Gulf countries,” he said. “Other pilgrims come from countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia.”

Accommodation at five-star hotels skyrockets to anywhere between SR31,000 to SR40,000 for a 10-day period near the end of Ramadan.

There are nearly 275 Umrah travel operators spread out in the capital, but their largest concentration is located in the city center in Batha.

Riyadh’s Dawah Center has arranged 45 coaches to ferry Umrah pilgrims from the capital free-of-charge.

Moulavi Ramzan from the center told Arab News that program beneficiaries are mainly singles from Asian and Arab countries.

Accommodation, transport and iftar will be given to the pilgrims, he said.

A return fare from Riyadh to Makkah by luxury coach, including accommodation in Makkah, will cost SR160 per pilgrim. An additional charge of SR20 will be incurred if the pilgrim opts to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah en route to Makkah.

Accommodation can be upgraded to four-star standards for a mere SR100.

According to a sales executive from Al-Rushd, a travel operator in the city, the trip to Makkah and Madinah sets out at 4 p.m. from Riyadh on Wednesday and ends on Friday at midnight.

Each family is given a large room, while bachelors are accommodated on a sharing basis, with three pilgrims per room. Children under 12 have to pay half the fare. “We will provide three-star hotel accommodation for our customers,” he said.

Another travel agent said a five-day package to Makkah and Madinah, including travel and accommodation, will cost a pilgrim only SR250.

The offer includes a two-day stay at a three-star hotel in Madinah and another two-day lodging at a similar hotel in Makkah. The journey begins on Monday and ends on Friday.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/594691

Tuesday 1 July 2014

The Makkah traffic department has deployed 1,500 officers and 500 motorcycle riders to ensure the holy city’s roads are congestion-free this Ramadan.

Col. Salman Al-Jomaie, director of the traffic department, said the officers would largely operate in the central area around the Grand Mosque and around the first and second ring roads.

Al-Jomaie said the traffic department has also established parking areas that can accommodate 20,000 cars, to reduce the number of vehicles on Makkah’s roads.

He said these plans have been put in place because there would be more visitors than normal in Makkah this year because of the summer vacation coinciding with the month of fasting.

An additional problem was the huge development projects currently taking place at the Grand Mosque.

He said that the department has also developed a strategy to prevent trucks from entering Makkah during peak hours.

There would be heavy penalties for drivers who do so. Undercover police officers in unmarked cars would be deployed to enforce the law, he said.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/594636

Tuesday, 01 July 2014

MAKKAH — A total of 51 domestic Haj service companies have signed an undertaking never to allow Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) transport pilgrims registered with them from all over the country, the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on Monday.

"A total of 51 domestic Haj campaigns serving more than 35,000 pilgrims have said they would not work with Saudia to transport their pilgrims,” it said in a statement

A member of the chamber's board of directors who did not want to be identified said the companies claimed Saudia had refused to meet with them. "On several occasions, Saudia had refused to respond to the requests of the domestic Haj companies for meetings to discuss the problems they had been experiencing," he said.

There are 204 domestic Haj companies serving the local pilgrims. Around 60 percent of them transport their pilgrims on Saudia's domestic flights.

Saad Al-Qurashi, another member of the chamber's board of directors, said Saudia was imposing high fares without providing any services to these companies in return.

He said: "This will smash our promise to arrange low-cost Haj pilgrimages this year.

“We have signed a code of ethics to this effect that we will not be able to honor."

Al-Qurashi said domestic Haj companies are determined to provide pilgrims with the best of services that will enable them to perform their rituals in peace and comfort.

"However we may not be able to do this given Saudia's high domestic ticket fares," he said.

Al-Qurashi was astonished that the price of a return ticket from Riyadh to Jeddah was SR1,500 and Dammam to Jeddah was SR1,600.

"These are very high prices which will make the low-cost Haj impossible," he said.

Al-Qurashi threatened that they would be obliged to opt for land transport if Saudia was not willing to reduce the price of its domestic tickets.

He said: “Saudia is the only air carrier working in the transportation of pilgrims.

“We may leave it completely and transport our pilgrims by land.”

He said they will not wait long for Saudia to respond to their demands and will immediately make plans to transport their domestic pilgrims by land, which is 70 percent cheaper than traveling by air.

"Any pilgrim who wants to fly by air should do this on his own. We will not be responsible for him," he said.

Al-Qurashi said their friction with Saudia is not new. "We have met more than once with them in the past but the resolutions and recommendations of these meetings were never executed," he said.

He said Saudia's flight schedules were not suitable for domestic travelers, especially those returning home after performing Haj or Umrah. He called on Saudia to announce its flight schedules very early.

Al-Qurashi asked the national carrier to revise the price of its tickets and to increase the number of domestic flights to be able to meet the rising demand for its services.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140701210139