Makkah News and Updates

Close-up Pics of mataf column base

Sunday, June 23, 2013

MAKKAH — Emir of Makkah Prince Khaled Al-Faisal emphasized on Saturday that the decision to reduce the number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims in the wake of the ongoing Mataf (circumambulation area) expansion is aimed at ensuring the comfort and dignity of pilgrims.

Prince Khaled urged the faithful to comply with the directives issued by the authorities with regard to the new arrangements to ensure smooth flow of pilgrims and enable them to perform the rituals in ease and comfort.

Referring to the new arrangements at the Grand Mosque, Prince Khaled, who is also chairman of the Central Haj Committee, said: “It is among the priorities of this nation to provide the best possible services for the guests of Allah, and the temporary arrangements to cut the number of Haj pilgrims is to ensure the arrival and return of pilgrims in a dignified manner.”

Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, urged pilgrims not to repeat Haj or Umrah until after finishing the ongoing largest ever expansion in the history of the two holy mosques so as to make way for those who did not perform these obligatory rituals.

“The authorities are racing against time to complete the gigantic expansion works at the Haram. In this context, any rush of pilgrims and their stay at Haram for a longer periods would harm their safety and security.”

He urged everyone to positively respond to the decision to cut the number of Haj pilgrims as well as to limit the period of Umrah visas to 14 days.

Burmese

The Emir was speaking to reporters during an inspection tour of the center for correcting the residency status of Burmese nationals at Kudai. He said about 115,000 Burmese nationals have so far corrected their status and eventually residency permits were issued to them.

“The scheme for correction of status will provide the Burmese nationals with a good opportunity to take part in the development of the region,” the Emir said while announcing that the governorate will not abandon any unplanned districts without developing them and correcting the status of local residents.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130623170895

Sunday 23 June 2013

Makkah: A helicopter affiliated to the General Command of Security Aviation of the Ministry of Interior managed to evacuate a Turkish expatriate who was injured while trying to climb Thor mountain in Makkah.

The Command’s Spokesman said ‘The Command received a report from the Civil Defense, stating that a Turkish expatriate, 50, was injured while trying to climb Thor mountain. Immediately, a helicopter went to rescue the injured and evacuate him to Al-Noor Specialist Hospital for treatment.’

http://www.arabnews.com/news/455819

MAKKAH — Civil Defense teams rescued a 50-year-old Turkish Umrah pilgrim who fell off the historic Thour Mountain in Makkah.

Makkah Civil Defense spokesman Maj. Saleh Al-Elayani said three rescue units were dispatched to the accident scene in a rugged area where the injured pilgrim was provided first-aid.

He was then air-lifted to Al-Noor Specialist Hospital for treatment. The case was referred to the police for further action.

The mountain is notable for the cave known as Ghar Al-Thour (Cave of the Bull), where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with his Companion Abu Bakr hid from their persecutors during the migration to Madinah.

The cave is visited by many pilgrims during Haj and Umrah seasons for its historic importance.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130623170900

المدينة المنورة: الوطن 2013-06-22 4:55 PM

أنهت وكالة الرئاسة العامة لشؤون المسجد النبوي استعداداتها لتقديم خدماتها لزائري المسجد النبوي بالمدينة المنورة خلال شهر رمضان المبارك، حتى يؤدون عباداتهم في راحة واطمئنان بما يتناسب مع مكانة وقدسية الزمان والمكان.
وأوضح نائب الرئيس العام لشؤون المسجد النبوي الشيخ عبد العزيز الفالح في تصريح صحفي، أن الوكالة زودت أرجاء المسجد النبوي بنحو 13 ألف حافظة ماء زمزم المبرد، وثلاثين خزاناً من الماء المبرد موزعة في مواقع متفرقة بالساحات مع توفير الكاسات النظيفة ذات الاستخدام لمرة واحده فقط.

وأفاد أن الاطمئنان على سير العمل في مباني الخدمات وما يشملها من سلالم ودورات مياه ومواقف للسيارات وساحات، قائم منذ وقتٍ مبكر، ولا يزال حتى الآن، وسيستمر خلال شهر رمضان، لضمان تقديم خدمة نوعية، وراحة لضيوف المسجد النبوي.

وكشف الفالح عن بدء تشغيل المظلات التي أمر بتركيبها خادم الحرمين الشريفين بساحات المسجد النبوي الشريف لتقي المصلين والصائمين من حرارة الشمس ومن خطر الانزلاق عند نزول المطر، مشيرا إلى أنه تم تركيب وتشغيل 436 مروحة رذاذ على أعمدة المظلات، لتلطيف الأجواء في ساحات المسجد النبوي، إلى جانب تنظيم السفر داخل المسجد النبوي وفي الساحات، وتوفير 2500 حافظة مياه باردة قابله للزيادة عند الحاجة.

وأولت الوكالة الجانب النسائي قدراً كبيراً من الاهتمام حيث أوكلت إلى إدارة التوجيه والإرشاد النسائي القيام بإعمال كثيرة، يبرز منها تنظيم دخول المصليات إلى الروضة في فترة ما بعد شروق الشمس، وفترة ما بعد صلاة الظهر، وفيما بعد صلاة العشاء، بحيث يكون دخول الزائرات ضمن مسارات خاصة بالدخول ومسارات خاصة بالعودة إلى مصلاهن بقسم النساء بعد صلاتهن بالروضة الشريفة.

وأفاد أن الموظفات يقمن بالتأكد من توافر جميع المتطلبات والخدمات في أقسام مصلى النساء، من مياه زمزم المبردة، والفرش ومتابعة نظافة المسجد، وجاهزية دورات المياه الخاصة بالنساء على مدار الساعة يومياً، وضمان تسليم جمع المفقودات إلى أصحابها، أو تسلمها إلى قسم المفقودات في حالة تعذر العثور على أصحابها، وتعد تقارير يومية منهن بذلك.

وبين أن الوكالة حرصت على تعيين العديد من المترجمين من طلاب الكليات والدراسات العليا لمساعدة رجال الهيئة في تقديم النصح والتوجيه للزوار غير الناطقين باللغة العربية، إلى جانب القيام الأعمال الإدارية كافة، حيث يبدأ عملهم بالتناوب على مدار " 24 " ساعة، والتنسيق مع إدارة الأبواب لمتابعة الحالات التي تستدعي الإسعاف لأقسام النساء والمرافق الخاصة بهن، وإعداد البيانات اللازمة، فيما يقوم قسم التوعية المنتشرة مكاتبه في الساحات بتوزيع الكتب على الزائرين حسب اللغات المتوفرة للمفقودات والقضايا اليومية .

ونوه إلى أن دور إدارة السقيا يتركز في استلام ناقلات زمزم يومياً وتفريغها بخزانات المسجد النبوي وخزانات السبيل بواقع 300 طن يومياً وتوزيع الترامس المملوءة بماء زمزم المبرد داخل المسجد النبوي بأقسام الرجال والنساء، وإرشاد التائهين ومساعدة كبار السن وذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة، والحد من الافتراش ووضع الأمتعة داخل الساحات.

وتشرف إدارة المرافق على دورات المياه وتشغيلها بكامل طاقتها ، وينتظر هذا العام تشغيل 6 دورات مياه في توسعة خادم الحرمين الشريفين الجديدة بالجهة الشرقية من المسجد، تحوي 10418 نقطة وضوء، مع تشغيل 15 مصعداً كهربائياً بالإضافة إلى السلالم الكهربائية والسلالم العادية، مراعين في جميع الخدمات كبار السن وذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة.

http://www.alwatan.com.sa/Local/News...7&CategoryID=5

Google translation: 2013-06-22

Agency ended the General Presidency of the Prophet's Mosque Affairs preparations to provide services for visitors to the Prophet's Mosque in Medina during the holy month of Ramadan, even performing their worship in comfort and contentment commensurate with the prestige and sanctity of time and place.

The Vice-President General for the Prophet's Mosque, Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Faleh in a press statement, that the agency provided around the Prophet's Mosque about 13 thousand portfolio Zamzam water radiator, thirty tanks of chilled water are distributed in separate locations بالساحات with the provision of cups of clean-use one-time only.

He reported that the check on the functioning of the service buildings and covered the stairs, toilets and parking and Yards, has existed since the early and remains so now, and will continue during the month of Ramadan, to ensure delivery of quality service and comfort to the guests the Prophet's Mosque.

He revealed Faleh from start umbrellas, which is installed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques بساحات the Prophet's Mosque to pious worshipers and fasters heat from the sun and the risk of slipping when it is raining, pointing out that the installation and operation of 436 fan spray columns umbrellas, to ease the atmosphere in the arena of the mosque, to by organizing travel inside the mosque and in the squares, and the provision of 2500 portfolio cold water can be increased when needed.

And paid the agency side women a great deal of attention as entrusted to the management direction and guidance Women do many, highlights of which regulate the entry of chapels to kindergarten in the period after sunrise, and the period after the noon prayer, and later evening prayers, so that the entry of visitors into paths private entry and private paths to return to Mslahen women after praying Department kindergarten honest.

He reported that the female Ikmn ensure the availability of all requirements and services in sections Chapel women, from Zamzam water-cooled, and brushes and follow-up cleaner mosque, and the readiness of toilets for women around the clock every day, and ensure the delivery of the collection Lost to the owners, or delivered to the Department of Lost and Found If you can not to find the owners, and are daily reports of them to do so.

He explained that the agency was keen to set many of the translators of college students and graduate to help men Authority to provide advice and guidance to visitors to non-Arabic speakers, as well as doing administrative work all, where it begins work alternately over the "24" hour, and coordination with the Department of doors to follow cases requiring ambulance sections of women and their own facilities, and prepare the necessary data, while the education department deployed its offices in the squares distributing books to visitors by the available languages ​​of the missing issues of the day.

He noted that the role of the Department Alskie concentrated in receiving tankers Zamzam day and discharged tanks Prophet's Mosque and reservoirs way by 300 tons per day and the distribution of Altrams filled with Zamzam water coolant inside the Prophet's Mosque sections for men and women, and guide the Drifters and help the elderly and people with special needs, reducing Alafterash and put luggage inside squares.

And oversees facilities management toilets and running at full capacity, is expected this year running 6 Baths in the expansion of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques new Steering east of the mosque, containing 10418 points and light, with running 15 an elevator in addition to escalators and stairs regular, mindful of all the services senior Age and those with special needs.

 

Remove 44% of the Haram columns

give الطائفين capacitive sense

إزالة 44% من أعمدة الحرم تمنح الطائفين شعوراً بالسعة

Tuesday 25 June 2013

There have been 4,921 Umrah overstayers from 44 countries recorded in the country this year, according to statistics released by the National Committee for Haj and Umrah recently. Topping the list is Egypt with 952 people, followed by Iran with 718 and Pakistan with 600. The data was compiled from the schedules of Umrah service providers.

Indonesia ranked fourth on the list with 382 Umrah pilgrims, then Turkey with 324 people, and Jordan and India with 271 and 209 people respectively. The list included pilgrims from Algeria, Yemen, Bangladesh, Iraq and Malaysia with more than 100 pilgrims staying over from each country.

However, the committee said all the nationals of the 29 countries listed returned to their countries, without any involvement in criminal activity.

Those who complied with regulations and returned home were from countries with Muslim minorities including Greece, Denmark, Spain, Norway, Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand, Japan, Portugal, Ireland, Canada, and a few other Asian and African countries.

Osama Filali, head of the committee, told a local newspaper that those who stayed over are not violators until the Umrah season is over in August. “The committee will conduct a survey on the number of Umrah overstayers when the season comes to an end.”

Spokesman of the Passports Department, Brig. Bader Al-Malik, said action would be taken against violators of labor and iqama regulations. However, he said the numbers were much less than last year when 11,000 Umrah and 6,000 Haj pilgrims overstayed their visas.

Nawaf Al-Bouq, spokesman of Jeddah Police, said three campaigns had been launched in the city recently to track down residency violators.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/456106

Tuesday 11 June 2013

The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that 75 percent of new coronavirus cases (MERS-Cov) in the Kingdom were males suffering from serious chronic diseases.

The WHO made this observation in a communique addressed to the Ministry of Health through its office in Riyadh.

Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Khalid Al-Mirghalani told Arab News that the WHO has come out with useful information about the virus, which was renamed the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-Cov).

Upon invitation from the Ministry of Health, a team of WHO officials visited hospitals in Al-Ahsa last week to exchange information on the outbreak of novel coronavirus in the Kingdom.

“One of the reasons why more cases have been identified in KSA may be because they have gone ahead to strengthen surveillance,” said Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general of WHO’s health security and environment. The WHO communiqué recalled that the first documented case of the virus emerged in Jordan in early 2012. Globally, from September 2012 to date, the WHO has been informed of a total of 55 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 31 deaths. The WHO has received reports of laboratory-confirmed cases originating in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and the United Kingdom also reported laboratory-confirmed cases.

They were either transferred or returned from the Middle East and subsequently became ill. In France, Italy, Tunisia and the United Kingdom, there has been limited local transmission among patients who had not been to the Middle East but had been in close contact with the laboratory-confirmed or probable cases. It stated that out of the 55 confirmed cases, 40 were found in the Kingdom, which included 25 deaths. Around 60 percent of confirmed cases had died because of the virus. The report explained that there are three ways that patients contracted the virus.

Firstly, sporadic cases were identified in the community. Secondly, the infection can occur in a cluster in a family from patient to person.

Thirdly, the infection had also occurred in health facilities in France, Jordan and Saudi Arabia from patient to person. It has been noticed that a person-to-person transmission had taken place only among family members or with health officials.

“Saudi Arabia has done an outstanding job in the investigation and control of the outbreak. Since the Ministry of Health has taken a number of measures, including infection control measures to reduce the spread of infection in hospitals, launch awareness campaigns to educate and alert the community, report cases to the WHO, conduct epidemiological tests to determine the source of infection, risk factors, and methods of transmission and to invite international experts to seek cooperation,” it said.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/454678 Tuesday 25 June 2013

One death and seven more cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) were reported yesterday, bringing the total of people infected to 62, including 34 deaths.

According to an official from the Ministry of Health, four infected patients from Riyadh and in the Eastern Province were between the age group of seven and 15 years of age.

Although, these patients were not showing symptoms of the disease, clinical tests have proven positive.

The other three cases included two female health officials and a 50-year-old woman, who is being treated for pulmonary disease in Al-Ahsa in the Eastern region.

So far 20 patients have fully recovered and 10 more are being treated at various hospitals in the affected areas.

In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Health yesterday, Ala Alwan, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean appreciated the efforts undertaken by the Kingdom to combat the virus.

“I take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation and sincere gratitude to Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, and to all his employees at the Ministry of Health for their valuable cooperation with the WHO in containing virus,” Alwan noted.

The WHO meeting on the virus, which took place in Cairo, called for continued surveillance and strengthened global awareness campaign against the virus.

The meeting acknowledged that despite no current evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission, MERS-CoV might evolve to spread quickly among humans and affect wider geographical areas.

While major knowledge gaps remain in understanding the emergence of this virus, clinical manifestations as well as the transmission risk, recent scientific research is enhancing the global knowledge on the disease.

This new knowledge now needs to be translated into a set of concrete public health actions in order to improve global and regional public health preparedness, said the WHO official.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/456126

Monday, 24 June 2013

The government of Indonesia has demanded compensation from Saudi Arabia over reported losses incurred by the Gulf kingdom’s decision to cut the global quota for hajj pilgrims.

Saudi earlier this month unexpectedly reduced the number of overseas Muslims permitted to travel to Makkah on Islamic pilgrimage this year by 20 percent.

More than 2m Muslims around the world travel to Saudi on hajj and umrah, with the next pilgrimage season set to start in September. Indonesian authorities claim that they have already paid out close to $70m on travel and accommodation for citizens of the South-East Asian nation. Indonesia’s own quota has been cut to 168,000.

“We are still working to find the best solution to compensate the loss. Tonight, the delegations from the hajj affairs department at ministry are headed for Saudi Arabia to negotiate with the local businesses which provide accommodation and food for pilgrims so that they can return money we have paid for would-be pilgrims whose trips have been cancelled,” religious affairs ministry spokesman Zubaidi told the Jakarta Post.

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Haj has said the decision to cut the number of pilgrims is "exceptional and temporary" until the completion of expansion plans at the holy sites.

Dr Bandar bin Mohammed Hajjar defended the decision to reduce the numbers of pilgrims at home by 50 percent and abroad by 20 percent.

During a TV interview, Hajjar said that the current expansion projects of the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah will add 400,000 sq to the current area to accommodate 2.2m worshippers.

He added that the Jamarat Bridge will be expanded from six to 12 floors to accommodate 5m pilgrims per day, and the Prophet's Holy Mosque in Madinah will be expanded to accommodate more than 2m worshippers.

Hajjar said that the expansion projects include public transport costing a total of SR62bn.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/indon...rs-506271.html

24 June 2013

Bahrain - Saudi Arabia has reduced the number of applications to visit Makkah during the Haj season amid major expansion work taking place at Makkah and fears of the spread of the deadly coronavirus, said a report.

The unprecedented move aims to prevent stampedes and ensure the safety of people, Bahraini Haj delegation head Shaikh Abdulnasser Abdulrahman was quoted as saying in the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

"The move follows a decision of the Haj Council in Saudi Arabia to reduce the number of pilgrims temporarily due to the ongoing massive expansions," he said.

"The Bahrain quota for Haj will be reduced from 4,675 to 3,700.

"The number of expatriates planning to perform the annual pilgrimage will also decrease from 1300 to 1000."

Shaikh Abdulrahman revealed that the number of administrative and support staff travelling with each Bahraini caravan will also be reduced by 50 per cent.

Shaikh Abdulrahman urged Bahrainis, who earlier performed Haj, to give others the chance to travel this year.

"This is because typically, between 30 per cent to 40 per cent of Bahraini pilgrims perform the Haj every year," he added.

He also said Bahraini authorities have been taking precautionary measures and coordinating with their counterparts in Saudi to protect pilgrims.

A special taskforce has already been formed by the Health Ministry to screen thousands of pilgrims travelling to and from Saudi Arabia for the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

Bahraini travellers will be provided with three types of vaccinations before crossing the border, where they will be closely monitored. They will also undergo thorough medical tests after returning.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-like virus has already killed 39 people worldwide, including 33 people in Saudi Arabia, and infected 70 globally.

"However, Bahraini authorities have not received any instructions from their Saudi counterparts to undertake any exceptional measures in this regard," said Shaikh Abdulrahman.

http://www.tradearabia.com/news/HEAL_238360.html