Makkah News and Updates

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#4006 [Permalink] Posted on 13th May 2014 15:36

Green light of Masjid al Haram
Green light of Masjid al Haram - May 2014

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#4007 [Permalink] Posted on 13th May 2014 15:39

The GREEN & GOLD new touch
at King Abdul Aziz Gate

Before

NOW

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/105855509

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#4008 [Permalink] Posted on 13th May 2014 22:40

The New Ottoman Portico in construction

Plan with Columns

New Columns in construction

when complete ..

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#4009 [Permalink] Posted on 13th May 2014 22:41

Mataf expansion progress - Phase 2

13 May 2014

Temporary Mataf

Ways for Temporary Mataf

Haram North expansion

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#4010 [Permalink] Posted on 14th May 2014 13:44

WHO in urgent MERS talks; 5 more die in Kingdom

A total of 152 cases passed away

Wednesday 14 May 2014

LONDON/RIYADH: Health and infectious disease experts met at the World Health Organization on Tuesday to discuss whether the MERS coronavirus now constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern.”

It came amid reports that five more people died and four were infected with the deadly virus in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 152 since September 2012. The newly infected patients, all from Riyadh, include three women, aged 20, 34 and 54.

These women are being treated at local hospitals, while a 69-year-old man who was suffering from chronic heart disease died after suffering respiratory difficulties. One death was reported in Riyadh and four in Jeddah — three men, aged 29, 54 and 60, and one woman, aged 53.

Experts meeting at the UN health agency’s Geneva headquarters would consider whether the recent upsurge in detected cases in Saudi Arabia, together with the wider international spread of sporadic cases, means the disease should be classed as an international emergency.

The WHO’s assistant director general for health security, Keiji Fukuda, would announce on Wednesday the conclusions of the meeting.

Meanwhile, employees at two Florida hospitals who came into contact with a Saudi resident infected by the MERS are being monitored for symptoms and have been told to stay home for two weeks.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/570306

www.moh.gov.sa/en/CoronaNew/

coronamap.com/

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#4011 [Permalink] Posted on 14th May 2014 13:47

Grand Mosque has a new sound system

Wednesday, 14 May 2014

MAKKAH — The Grand Mosque now has a new sound system. The system, which conforms to the latest available standards, was recently inaugurated by Makkah Emir Prince Mishaal Bin Abdullah.

The head of the operations department at the Grand Mosque, Faris Al-Saadi, said a number of specialized international companies were contacted to choose the best available sound system.

He pointed out that a certain system was chosen, and extensive tests were conducted by specialists at the operation department.

The system has won the approval of Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

The new sound system was first put to use during the Maghreb prayers last Sunday.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140514205023

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#4012 [Permalink] Posted on 15th May 2014 21:56

Miqat ''Qarn Al Manazil''

______________________________

Serving pilgrims at Miqat
is a family tradition undertaken for blessings

Stall owners at Miqat derive pleasure from serving the Guests of Allah.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Year after year, every blessed Haj season, as the echoes of the Talbiya resonate in the air and the pilgrims don their white ihram, families in the miqat area of Qarn Al-Manazil open up stalls and prepare to greet the pilgrims, help direct them, and sell them basic necessities. Their role in serving pilgrims has been passed down from generation to generation over the past century.

Miqat Qarn Al-Manazil is also known as Al-Sayl and it lies 55 km north of Taif and 75 km east of Makkah. The Miqat is the final point where the pilgrim intending Haj or Umrah must wear the Ihram and it is from there that he/she embarks on the unforgettable spiritual journey. This Miqat is for the people from the Najd region and also the residents of Taif. In fact, it is the largest miqat for local residents and Saudi nationals, as over 50 percent of local pilgrims pass through this point.

The owners of these stalls seek to serve pilgrims and help them, and their desire to serve far outweighs any search for making profit and financial gain. They have inherited this responsibility from their forefathers and they continue to provide the pilgrims with everything they may need; the white Ihram, scissors, slippers, a belt to keep money and important documents safe, umbrellas, water, and snacks.

One young man operates a stall with his uncle and they work long hours for the first ten days of Dhul-hijja. “Most Saudi pilgrims buy their Ihram at the Miqat. We are not after profit or taking advantage of pilgrims, we wish to facilitate their highly rewarding but also arduous trip. In fact, in order to obtain a legal permit and rent out the stall for these ten days, we must pay rent for the entire year but we only use it during Haj. So we are here just up until the first day of Eid, when we close up and do not return to our posts until the following year for Haj again. The financial returns are not worth the effort, but hearing the supplications and well wishes from the guests of Allah and helping the pilgrims is well worth all the work,” said Turki Al-Thabiti.

An ophthalmologist who lives in Taif, Dr. Ali Al-Sibai, said “Every year during this time, I have guests, relatives or friends who come from different parts of the Kingdom to stay with me due to our close vicinity to Makkah to perform Haj. I know the stall owners at the Miqat by their names and I take my guests to them to purchase all that they will need for their Haj journey.”

High school student who helps his father sell Ihram at the miqat, Khalid Al-Otaibi, said: “It is our family tradition and we consider it an honor to serve the guests of Allah. At our stalls here, pilgrims can find everything they need in one place. The price of the Ihram ranges between SR30 and SR60, depending on the quality of the material, and our financial returns are minimal. We have developed close ties with the pilgrims and every year we wait to hear their stories and sell them the goods that they need.”

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20121021140345

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#4013 [Permalink] Posted on 15th May 2014 21:57

MERS very serious, but not an emergency: WHO

Thursday, 15 May 2014

LONDON – Concern about the deadly new Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus has “significantly increased” but the disease is not yet a global health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

The virus, which causes coughing, fever and sometimes fatal pneumonia, has been reported in more than 500 patients, mainly in Saudi Arabia, and has spread to neighboring countries, as well as in a few cases to Europe, Asia and the United States. It kills about 30 percent of those who are infected.

The WHO’s emergency committee, which met for five hours in Geneva on Tuesday, said on Wednesday that the seriousness of the MERS situation had increased in terms of public health impact, but there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus.

Because of that, “the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) have not yet been met,” the WHO said in a statement.

WHO’s assistant director general for health security Keiji Fukuda said the main reason for not declaring MERS an emergency was that despite a surge in cases, the evidence did not suggest it was spreading easily from person to person.

“It’s the (viruses) that can really sustain transmission in communities which pose the greatest danger of spreading around the world and causing large numbers of illnesses and deaths,” Fukuda told reporters on a telephone briefing.

“(And) there is no convincing evidence right now for an increase in the transmissibility of this virus.”

Ben Neuman, a virus expert at Britain’s University of Reading, said the WHO committee’s decision was “a measured and sensible reaction to an evolving epidemic.”

“It is important to remember that MERS still does not spread very efficiently between people,” he said.

“It is a very serious disease if you are unlucky enough to catch it, but the odds of catching the virus – even in Saudi Arabia – are still very small.”

Global health regulations define a PHEIC as an extraordinary event that poses a risk to other WHO member states through the international spread of disease, and which may require a coordinated international response.

5 new MERS deaths

Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday five new deaths from MERS, raising the death toll in the country worst-hit by the mysterious coronavirus to 157 since it appeared in 2012.

The health ministry also reported 16 new infections raising the total so far to 511.

Three women, all over 60, died in Riyadh, while two men, aged 56 and 57, died in Jeddah, the ministry said on its website.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140515205209

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#4014 [Permalink] Posted on 15th May 2014 21:58

Mataf expansion progress - Phase 2

14 May 2014

Don't miss the full screen!

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...52734031_o.jpg

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#4015 [Permalink] Posted on 15th May 2014 21:59

Non-Haj govt agencies to be relocated out of Mina

A night view of the tents in Mina is shown in this photo taken last Haj. Agencies that have
nothing to do with Haj will be relocated away from Mina, say officials.

Thursday 15 May 2014

The Supreme Haj Committee plans to ban all non-Haj government agencies from operating in Mina to streamline operations for pilgrims.

The discussion on the issue took place at a committee meeting recently in Jeddah. The space would be allocated for essential Haj services, participants said.

Prince Mohammad bin Naif, the minister of interior, chaired the meeting.

The meeting also discussed the lighting on Al-Hijra highway, which connects Makkah and Madinah, installing air conditioning in Mina tents, and organizing the process of receiving pilgrims from Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Saed Al-Orabi Al-Harithi, advisor to the minister and secretary general of the Supreme Haj Committee, also attended the meeting.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/571101

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#4016 [Permalink] Posted on 15th May 2014 22:01

No changes in Umrah system, says Haj Ministry

Thursday, 15 May 2014

RIYADH — The Haj Ministry said no changes have been made for this year's Umrah season and Umrah is open as usual for everyone.

The ministry's undersecretary, Issa Rawwas, said the number of Umrah pilgrims will be set according to the quota decided by the crowd management experts and the intake capacity of the Grand Mosque.

"This is within the royal directives aimed at preserving the safety and comfort of the pilgrims," he added.

Rawwas said the process of arrival and departure is worked out in such a way that no more than 200,000 to 400,000 pilgrims will be present in the Kingdom at a time.

He said more than 5 million visas were issued so far this Umrah season and since late November, more than 4.5 million pilgrims arrived in the country and left after performing their religious rituals.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140515205133

General statistics
of the Umrah season 1435/2014

Until 13 Rajab 1435 - 12 May 2014

Total Number of the Mutamirs:

4,453,332
______________________________________
Number expected for the whole Umrah season
6,000,000

* Mutamir/s: is/are the one who come into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
to perform Umrah rituals and visit the Prophet's Holy Mosque.

14 May 2014

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#4017 [Permalink] Posted on 15th May 2014 23:58

Completion of 80%

of Madinah's Haramain train station

إنجاز 80% من محطة قطار الحرمين بالمدينة

15 May 2014

قال رئيس عام المؤسسة العامة للخطوط الحديدية المهندس محمد بن خالد السويكت إن نسبة الإنجاز بمحطة المدينة المنورة بلغت 80%، مشيرا إلى أن هناك تقدما ملحوظا طرأ على أعمال إنشاء المحطات وتنفيذ الأعمال المدنية والمنشآت الأخرى على امتداد مسار الخط الحديدي، خصوصا في المنطقتين الرابعة والخامسة الواقعتين بين المدينة المنورة ومدينة الملك عبدالله الاقتصادية برابغ. جاء ذلك خلال تفقد السويكت أمس لسير العمل بمشروع قطار الحرمين السريع بالمدينة المنورة.

من جهته أوضح مدير ادارة العلاقات العامة والإعلام بالمؤسسة محمد أبوزيد ان جولة السويكت بدأت من محطة المدينة المنورة، حيث عقد عددا من الاجتماعات مع مقاولي المشروع والاستشاريين استعرض فيها ما تم إنجازه من أعمال في المحطة، كما قام بجولة داخل المحطة وقف خلالها على الأعمال الإنشائية والكهربائية والميكانيكية التي تم إنجازها والخطط المرسومة للانتهاء من باقي الأعمال وفق خطة العمل الشاملة. وأشار إلى أن الجولة استمرت حتى محطة مدينة الملك عبدالله الاقتصادية برابغ بهدف الاطمئنان على مدى جاهزية مقاول المرحلة الثانية لاستلام الجزء الثاني من المسار الواقع في المنطقة الرابعة والبالغ طوله حوالي ٨٥ كلم اضافة الى ١٠ كلم من المنطقة الخامسة، حيث من المتوقع ان يتم تسليمها خلال الأيام القادمة إضافة إلى تسليم كامل المنطقة السادسة من المسار وهو ما يعني تسليم كامل المسار الرابط بين محطتي المدينة المنورة والملك عبدالله الاقتصادية برابغ ليكون بعهدة مقاول المرحلة الثانية لاستكمال أعمال مد القضبان والكهرباء وتنفيذ أنظمة الإشارات.

http://www.okaz.com.sa/new/Issues/20...0515699530.htm

Google translation: 15 May 2014

The head general of the Railway Engineer Mohammed bin Khalid Suwaiket The percentage of completion station Medina reached 80 %, indicating that there is significant progress occurred in the construction work for the stations and the implementation of civil works and other structures along the path of the railway line , especially in the regions fourth and fifth incidents Medina and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh . This came during a losing Suwaiket yesterday workflow Haramain High Speed Rail project in Medina.

For his part, Director of Public Relations and Media Foundation Mohammed Abu Zeid said tour Suwaiket started from the station Medina, where he held a number of meetings with the contractors of the project and the consultants reviewed the what has been accomplished from the work at the station , as he toured the inside of the leg to stop during the construction work and electrical and mechanical , which have been completed and plans set for the completion of the rest of the business in accordance with the comprehensive plan of action . He pointed out that the tour lasted until the station King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh in order to check on the readiness of the contractor the second phase of the receipt of the second part of the track, located in Region IV and the length of about 85 km in addition to the 10 km of the area five, which is expected to be delivered in a few days the next addition to the delivery of the entire area of the sixth track, which means the whole delivery path link between stations Medina and King Abdullah Economic Rabigh to be the custody of the contractor to complete the second phase of the work to extend the rails, electricity and implementation of signaling systems.

21 April 2014

2 May 2014

15 May 2014

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#4018 [Permalink] Posted on 16th May 2014 04:05

The history of Aghas in Madinah

Friday, 16 May 2014

The history of Aghas — people dedicated to the service of the Two Holy Mosques — goes back hundreds of years. Although there are only about 10 left at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, studies have shown that the Aghas have existed in the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah for centuries.

Different studies have discussed their appearances, clothing, whether they were married, their salaries, duties and social status, but a lack of translation of historic documents has kept such details a mystery, the Makkah daily said in a report.

According to one study, Sultan Nooruldin Al-Shaheed sent Aghas to Hijaz in 1161, while other studies show that Muawiyah Bin Abu Sufyan, founder of the Umayyad Dynasty, was the first ruler to appoint Aghas in the two holy mosques.

Aghas were responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the holy mosques and they also guarded the Prophet’s tomb.

Studies that claim Aghas were first present in the Prophet’s Mosque reached this conclusion based on three grounds:

Firstly, geographer and traveler Ibn Jubayr who visited Makkah in 1183 did not mention Aghas in his travel logs. He, however, did write about them when he visited the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Secondly, Ibn Battuta visited Makkah in 1324 and he also did not mention Aghas but he did so when he visited Madinah. Thirdly, the Egyptian mathematician Ahmad Al-Qalqashandi, who was born in 1355, wrote that a directive was issued to appoint a head for Aghas in Madinah. He did not say a similar directive was issued in Makkah.

Faculty member at Taibah University in Madinah Dr. Ahmad Al-Shabi said most of the existing Aghas are ill and their duties have been limited to welcoming guests and head of delegates visiting the Prophet’s Mosque.

“Aghas had a neighborhood named after them, located to the east of the Prophet’s Mosque, but that neighborhood has been demolished for the expansion of the mosque. They wear distinctive clothes and usually stand in one line in a very prestigious manner. Their duties used to include carrying the key to the imam’s platform for Friday sermon, cleaning the Prophet’s chamber every Friday night, but such duties have now been entrusted to a cleaning company,” he said, while adding that most Aghas were from Ethiopia and Sudan.

According to Al-Shabi, Aghas also used to replace lamps and candles in the mosque. After Isha prayers, they used to around the mosque politely asking worshippers to leave.

“One of the Aghas slept inside the mosque to guard it against any intruders. He used to open the mosque for the muezzin before the Fajr prayer. As soon as the muezzin started calling for the prayer, the Aghas would go around the mosque and open all gates,” he added.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140516205250

An old photograph of the Prophet's Mosque

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#4019 [Permalink] Posted on 16th May 2014 05:13

What's on the Green Dome
of the Prophet's Mosque?

There is a false story circulating on the web
saying there is ''a dead body buried on the Green Dome''
of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.

On the Green Dome, near the top,
we can see a rectangular form...what it is?

A dead body?

No! ... It's a window
covered to prevent from water.

see on the image

It's a window!
covered to prevent from water.