Muslim pilgrims circumambulate around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque, in Makkah, in this September 26, 2014 file photo.
Tuesday 29 December 2015
MAKKAH: The temporary bridges over the mataf, the circumambulation area around the Kaaba, would be removed over a period from Feb. 9 to March 9.
This plan is contained in a technical report filed by a government-appointed committee to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and interior minister, according to a report in a local publication on Monday.
The committee, chaired by Bakri Assas, director of Umm Al-Qura University, recently held its 22nd meeting to discuss various aspects of the project. He urged everyone to work hard to ensure that the project is completed, which would improve services for pilgrims.
He said the work currently taking place at the Grand Mosque and other places in Makkah was the largest in the history of the Kingdom. More than 14,000 engineers, technicians and workers have been working on the project to increase the capacity of the mataf. After completion, it will accommodate about 105,000 worshipers per hour.
The project includes central air conditioning, ventilation, lighting, sound systems, clocks and surveillance cameras. Pilgrims will be able to perform the tawaf, circumambulation of the Kaaba, on the first floor and terrace. All the upper floors will be connected with escalators.
JEDDAH — The quota cuts in the number of the domestic and the foreign Haj pilgrims will continue until the expansion projects of the Two Holy Mosques have been completed, Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar has said.
“This is an exceptional and a temporary measure aimed at preserving the safety and comfort of the guests of God,” he said.
Hajjar recalled that the Haj quotas were decided by the Islamic foreign ministers in Amman in 1987.
He said the ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) decided the quotas of pilgrims to be 1,000 pilgrims for each 1 million population of Muslims.
“The ministers took into consideration the ongoing development projects and the limited area of the Holy Sites,” he explained.
Hajjar said the Kingdom every year receives pilgrims from about 180 countries who speak more than 200 various languages.
“The pilgrims, who are mostly old, have different cultural, social and sectarian backgrounds,” he said.
Hajjar said these pilgrims move in a limited area with difficult terrain under hot weather, which requires thorough organization and management.
The minister said he recently began his routine meetings with 53 Haj affairs offices to discuss the affairs of their pilgrims with a view to ensuring them with excellent services.
“The meetings will continue for the next three months and will cover all issues pertaining to the Haj,” he added.
Hajjar asked all Islamic countries and Muslim communities in non-Muslim countries to enlighten their pilgrims about the correct methods of doing the Haj before they start their religious journey.
“The countries and the communities should also enlighten their pilgrims on the heath, security, behavioral and environment issues,” he said.
The minister asked the offices to honor the grouping of pilgrims from the time of their arrival at the airports or seaports until they reach their places of accommodation in Makkah or Madinah.
He said the schedule of grouping the pilgrims moving to Mina or Arafat should be strictly observed for their safety and convenience.
Hajjar also asked the offices to enlighten their pilgrims against politicizing the pilgrimage, tampering with the Kingdom’s security or stirring sectarian differences.
Hajis saved from baggage check-in formalities Jan 18, 2016
JEDDAH — Companies in charge of accommodation of pilgrims will also be made responsible for shipping their luggage to their destinations, Haj Minister Bandar Al-Hajjar has said.
“This is a new mechanism which has been initiated to facilitate swift and smooth departure of pilgrims,” he said.
Under this mechanism pilgrims will go to the airport without any luggage. They will no longer have to wait at the counters to check-in their baggage.
The minister said the licensed accommodation companies in Makkah and Madinah will transport the luggage to the airport and complete the shipping procedures.
Concerning Zamzam water, which pilgrims are keen to take back home, the minister said it will be shipped onboard the aircraft flying back home after dropping pilgrims.
“Pilgrims will receive their quotas of the blessed water on their arrival in their home countries. They will no longer have to take Zamzam water with them as accompanying luggage when leaving the Kingdom after Haj,” he said.
New Makkah Museum _______________________________________________
UK studio wins competition to design 'Makkah Museum'
Jan 17, 2016
UK studio Mossessian Architecture has won a competition to design Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Museum, a building dedicated to the Islamic faith.
It will occupy a site 7km from the Grand Mosque in Makkah, which houses the Kaaba – the most sacred location in the world for Muslims.
The will include 5,600 sqm of gallery space to host exhibitions related to the history of Islam, along with a reception area, auditorium, book store, teaching space, roof garden, and restaurant.
A statement released by Mossessian commenting on the project, noted: “The Makkah Museum will offer a unique interpretation and reflection of faith to the millions of Muslims who visit Makkah from around the world and who, up until this point, have had no cultural institution of this kind to enhance their visit to the holiest of Muslim cities.”
The architecture firm teamed up with Paris exhibition design company Studio Adeline Rispal to enter the invited competition for the museum project.
Rispal designed a central void inside the structure to act as a "virtual minaret" that visitors ascend as they move through the exhibitions.
The studio said: “Both circular (like the celestial sphere) and ascending (symbolising the spiritual journey), the central minaret-shaped void calls upon the Muslim community to transcend earthly concerns through their faith – and pursuing the quest for knowledge onwards into infinity.”
At the top, visitors will be able to access a climate-controlled garden space, which is designed to be usable even in the extreme heat of Saudi Arabia's summers.
The underside of the spiralling stairs leading back down will be inscribed with the 99 Names of Allah, which will be viewable from a dedicated gallery space at the bottom.
The outside wall of the museum will incorporate stone sourced from every country in the world where Islam is currently practiced. Hujaz rock from the mountains around Mecca will be used for the interior.
“Inside, the rock is used to create alcoves and plinths that visitors encounter as they mount the ramp,” said the architect. “These house the exhibition displays, which tell the story of the life of the Prophet and enrich understanding about Islam.”
Based in London, Mossessian Architecture was founded in 2005 by architect Michel Mossessian. The studio has a large number projects currently under way in the Middle East and Africa, including the regeneration of the Place Lalla Yeddouna at the heart of the historic Medina in Fez, Morocco.
UK projects include mixed-use towers in London's Paddington Basin and offices in King's Cross.
More access for women to Prophet’s grave under study
Thursday 21 January 2016
JEDDAH: Following appeals by members of the Shoura Council for easier access for women to the Prophet’s grave in Madinah, a study has been completed by a team of engineers and architects on how to expand the area. Several women Shoura members said that there was not enough time and space allocated for women compared to the almost open access for men, according to a report in a local publication.
Wafa Tebah, a Shoura member, said: “One cannot deny efforts have been made to regulate access for women to the Rawdah Al-Jannah, but we need to deal with the problem in a new way. It is very obvious the current organization is not sufficient or effective.”
Fatima Al-Qur’ani, another Shoura member, said despite several efforts to allow women to pray in the area in peace, the space and time allocated were not enough.
Abdul Haq Al-Oqbi, head of engineering at the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Endowment project, said a team of experts visited the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to see what could be done.
“There are plans to create more space around the Rawdah to allow women to visit the place all year ... taking into consideration their safety and security as a priority,” he said.
Anas bin Saleh Serafi, a member of the Saudi Society for Urban Affairs, has submitted a proposal to the authorities in Madinah on how to improve the situation, which includes seven different engineering plans.
Exhibition depicts life and mission of the Prophet
Jan 26, 2016
JEDDAH — An exhibition showcasing the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his mission was launched at Jamjoom Center here on Sunday.
Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) secretary general, Adnan H. Mandourah, inaugurated the exhibition, entitled “Journey of the Light exhibition on life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)” in the presence of the organizer of the exhibition, Hassan Al Attas, representatives from JCCI, businessmen, social figures and media representatives.
The second Journey of the Light exhibition, which will run for a month, documents the life of the Prophet (pbuh) from his birth to his demise through a series of scenes illustrated by life-sized models.
The exhibition also includes a real-life depiction of the Prophet’s house, his rooms, Makkah and Madinah during the Prophet’s time, and posters portraying life during the time of the Prophet (pbuh).
Speaking at the inaugural event, Al Attas explained that every corner of the exhibition contains a collection of work that was made by a group of young male and female artists who expressed their love of the Prophet (pbuh) in their artistic form.
“After three months of preparation, I am very happy to have been able to exhibit the love we share for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I am proud of our young artists and their excellent work and may Allah reward them,” he said.
He noted that the main aim of the exhibition is to show the most important details from the life of the Prophet (pbuh).
Al Attas said they expect 20,000 visitors this year including students, families and people from different segments of the society.
“We wanted to recreate his life so when you walk through the exhibition, you see the history of his life and things people are interested to know about the Prophet (pbuh),” he said.
“This generation is very visual and so for them to see it is much more meaningful for them, they get a better understanding.”
At the official inauguration, Adnan H. Mandourah lauded the role of organizers for their efforts in creating an awareness on the Prophet’s life.
“I have inaugurated and attended so many events and exhibition but this is the best one. It is a great honor to be the guest of honor at this exhibition,” he said.
The exhibition will open daily from 5-10 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday for men, Thursday and Saturday for women, and Friday and Monday for families.
In this Sept. 12, 2015, file photo, a construction crane, center, is seen collapsed over the Grand Mosque, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Tuesday 2 February 2016
JEDDAH: The Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution has identified 40 people who will face charges for negligence because of the crane crash at the Grand Mosque last year that saw over 100 people killed and scores injured.
The files of the accused have been transferred from Riyadh to Makkah, where the state prosecutor is expected to add several more names next week and produce a final list, according to a press report on Monday.
The 40 on the list include 10 government officials, while the others are managers, technicians and engineers working on the massive expansion project at the Grand Mosque.
An initial investigation had revealed that the crane had fallen because of negligence involving several employees of the Saudi Binladin Group. These people were named in the report sent to the public prosecutor’s office in Riyadh.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman last year ordered massive payouts for the families of those killed and injured in the crane crash tragedy, which claimed the lives of 111 people and injured over 238.
In a royal decree, the king announced that SR1 million would be paid to each victim’s family, SR1 million to those whose injuries resulted in permanent disability, and SR500,000 for each of the injured.
The king stated that these payments would not exclude the families of the deceased and the injured from launching lawsuits through the courts for compensation.
The king also reviewed the report of the committee investigating the incident.
About 40 to stand trial in Makkah crane crash case
Civil Defense personnel inspect the damage at the crane crash site
Feb 2, 2016
JEDDAH — Some 40 people will stand trial before three courts in Jeddah for their confirmed involvement in the crane crash incident in the Grand Mosque in September, local daily Al-Watan reported on Monday quoting informed sources.
The Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIP) in Makkah has received back the file on the case which was submitted to the Riyadh office from the BIP’s Jeddah branch for further scrutiny.
The accused includes 30 top officials, directors and technicians in the construction company executing the expansion project of the Grand Mosque (Saudi Binladen Group) and 10 from other government departments.
The sources expect the number of defendants to increase when more people will be investigated next week.
Sources said the prosecutor general is currently preparing the list of charges against the defendants.
The Summary Court will handle the criminal aspect of the case and is expected to issue discretionary verdicts against the defendants.
The General Court will tackle the the issue of diyyah (blood money) and compensations within the private rights while the Administrative Court will look at the violations in the contracts signed between the construction company and a number of ministries and government departments.
The investigating committee has addressed a number of international safety companies and questioned more than 200 people including engineers, managers and members of the boards of directors within its investigations in the case which started immediately after the crash, sources said.
The committee also studied the documents on the operation of the crane, the maintenance contracts and the safety measures in the expansion project of the Grand Mosque.
The committee has obtained data from the manufacturing company, sought the help of international safety experts and obtained reports from the Civil Defense and the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME).
BIP investigators have visited the site of the crash several times and studied the pictures from the surveillance cameras.
Sources said the crane should have been in a different position when the strong winds started to blow.
They said the investigating committee examined the correspondence between engineers and operating technicians to reach the conclusion that the position of the crane at the time of the crash was inappropriate.
According to the sources, the defendants may face charges of negligence that caused the loss of lives and properties and therefore may have discretionary verdicts in addition to paying compensations under the private right.
will king salman and his cronies not stand trial for the murder of the two thousand plus hujjaj who died in mina? the crane seemed to have been a freak accident but the stampede was definitely down to human error on the saudi side.
It all came down to the Iranians. The last quote has King Salman's say on it where he didn't want people blaming each other and causing disunity in the Ummah, rather he wanted better precautions for next time.
A proposal to shade the Mataf area is being studied
A crowded mataf is seen in the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
Sunday 7 February 2016
MADINAH/JEDDAH: Pilgrims and visitors performing tawaf (circumambulation) of the Holy Kaaba or praying around it may look forward to relief from the blazing sun, as a proposal to shade the Mataf area is being studied.
According to local media, the matter came up for discussion when Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, met representatives of the Ministry of Finance, in the presence of the Grand Mosque projects committee, in his office.
Flower-like shade umbrellas at the Prophet’s Mosque are a big attraction besides their usefulness for pilgrims and visitors in the form of protection from direct sunlight, especially in summer.
The projects that were discussed at the meeting included the library of the Holy Mosque, separate gateway for elevators, electromechanical systems for the Masaa expansion and re-waterproofing of the surface of the King Fahd expansion and surface of the Masaa, which was damaged during the expansion work of the Mataf.
Also discussed during the meeting were issues like documents of Autocad, photos, videos of before, during and after the work, before starting the third expansion.
Electricity supply in the mezzanine of the Masaa, preparation of the headquarters of the project of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for simultaneous translation of speeches and sermons, and security cameras at the entrances, were also discussed.
JEDDAH: The fourth stage of the Haj Transportation Project, which is expected to be completed soon, will reduce the travel time between Arafat and Muzdalifah to about 45 minutes, as compared to up to eight hours in the past.
Implementation of this phase includes preparing routes allocated for movement and transport of South Asia and Arab Haj transport companies, and comes as part of the Ministry of Haj’s work plans to facilitate movement of pilgrims between holy sites.
The ministry had assigned responsibility of the implementation of the fourth phase of the project to the Makkah and Holy Sites Development Commission. According to a local newspaper, the project will be completed by the Haj season, with its most notable feature being the reduction of travel time of Haj transport companies transporting pilgrims between Arafat and Muzdalifah to 45 minutes.
In addition to reducing travel time, the project will also contribute to dividing tawafa companies at each site via specific route for each office, as well as preventing the passage of any non-specialized vehicle to transport pilgrims.
According to the deputy minister of Haj for transport and holy sites projects and head of the coordination council for transport trips, Dr. Mohammed Simsim, the Ministry of Haj is keen to provide the best services to pilgrims.
He said the first meeting was held on Thursday with specialists at the Makkah and Holy Sites Development Council, with attendance of the consultant tasked with designing the fourth phase of the transport project, during which project requirements and specifications were discussed.
The fourth phase comes as an extension to the first three phases which currently benefit Turkish, Australian, American, South East Asian, Iranian, non-Arab African, and Muslim European Haj transport companies.
At the end of the meeting, an agreement was reached to display the requirements and public bid specifications for the project, with implementation to be completed in 30 months, said Simsim.
ناقشت وزارة المالية أمس آلية تنفيذ 18 مشروعا جديدا وتكملة مشاريع توسعات الحرم المكي، وذلك خلال لقاء جمع مدير مشاريع وزارة المالية بالحرم المهندس محمد سمكري وممثلي وزارة المالية بالرئيس العام لشؤون المسجد الحرام والمسجد النبوي الدكتور عبدالرحمن السديس وحضور أعضاء لجنة المشاريع بالرئاسة.
وحصلت «مكة» على قائمة بالمشاريع الجديدة، هي:
مشروع الملك سلمان لتظليل صحن المطاف وسطح المسجد الحرام والساحات المحيطة به. مبنى الرئاسة الجديد مكتبة المسجد الحرام إنشاء أبواب فاصلة لبسطات السلالم الكهربائية وفق ما تم تركيبه في مبنى سلم الأرقم الكهربائي تركيب الأنظمة الكهروميكانيكية للمسعى مماثلة للتوسعات الجديدة مع ربطها كمنظومة واحدة إعادة العزل المائي لسطح توسعة الملك فهد وسطح المسعى بسبب أضرار مشروع توسعة الطاقة الاستيعابية للمطاف تخصيص موقع للرئاسة ضمن مجمع الدوائر الحكومية بالشميسي تمييز مشايات أرضية المداخل الرئيسة للتوسعات تنفيذ مكتب الرئيس العام لشؤون الحرمين ونائبه يسار الداخل لباب الملك عبدالعزيز بالدور الأرضي تهيئة مقرات للرئاسة والجهات العاملة بالحرم ضمن مباني الخدمات لإلغاء البركسات العشوائية بأطراف ساحات الحرم تزويد الرئاسة بكل أعمال توثيق مبنى الحرم وساحاته وخدماته قبل البدء بالتوسعة السعودية الثالثة سواء النظام الإرشادي لمباني المسجد الحرام والساحات ومبنى الخدمات ومجمعات المواضئ ودورات المياه. دراسة وضع سير كهربائي لأحد أدوار ميزاني المسعى تهيئة وتجهيز مقر لعمليات الرئاسة وفق الأصول الفنية تهيئة وتحضير مقر لمشروع خادم الحرمين الشريفين للترجمة الفورية للخطب وفق الأصول الفنية دراسة كاميرات أمنية بطريقة آلية مطورة لمداخل الأبواب إعداد دراسات من خلال الاستشاري دار الهندسة تشمل (إدارة الحشود والتفويج والدخول والخروج). تسوير ساحات المسجد الحرام أسوة بأسوار المسجد النبوي
We discussed the Ministry of Finance yesterday mechanism for implementing 18 new projects and complement the expansion of the Haram al-projects, during a meeting between the Director of the Ministry of Finance projects Haram Mohamed plumber and representatives of the Ministry of Finance, General President of the affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais and the presence of members of the Commission projects the presidency.
And «Mecca» got the list of new projects, are:
1. King Salman project to highlight the Mataf and the surface of the Grand Mosque and the surrounding squares. 2. The new presidency building 3. Grand Mosque Library 4. Create a comma for stalls escalators doors according to what has been installed in the building electrical ladder Arqam 5. Installation of electromechanical systems similar to the quest for new expansions linked as a system with a single 6. Re-waterproofing of the surface of King Fahd and the expansion of the surface of the endeavor because of the damage to the capacity expansion project took shape for 7. Customize the site for the presidency within the government departments Bachammasa compound 8. Discrimination strollers floor main entrances expansions 9. Implementation of the Office of the President for Holy and his deputy left the inside of the door of the King Abdul-Aziz on the ground floor 10. Create a headquarters for the presidency and those working within the campus buildings to cancel services Albaraksat random parties courtyards of the Haram 11. Presidential provide all documentation of work and Haram precincts and services building before starting the third enlargement Arabia both 12. Guidance system for the buildings of the Grand Mosque, squares, parks and building services Moadi and restrooms. 13. Study electrical functioning of a Budget endeavor roles put 14. Creating and processing operations headquarters for the presidency according to the technical assets 15. Creating and preparing the headquarters for the project Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, simultaneous translation of speeches according to the technical assets 16. Study of security cameras in a way developed a mechanism for the entrances doors 17. The preparation of studies by the Consultative Engineering House include (Crowd Management and Altvoaj and entry and exit). 18. Fencing arenas like the walls of the Grand Mosque Prophet's Mosque
In case you lose your passport, you should take the following steps in order to obtain a travel document from your embassy allowing you to leave the country:
1- You should report the loss of passport incident to the police station located within the area where you have lost your passport.
2-The police station will give you a police record confirming the loss of your passport.
3- Then, you should submit the police record to your travel agency.
4-Your travel agency will accordingly give you a printed document with your information; the travel agency must affix its seal to that printed document.
5-Your travel agency will handle the rest of the procedures in connection with obtaining the travel document.
6-After that, either your travel agency or you should visit your embassy while having with you (1) the police record confirming the loss of your passport, and (2) the printed document sealed by the travel agency.
7-At that point, your embassy will issue for you the travel document, by virtue of the police record confirming the loss of passport incident and the printed document issued and sealed by your travel agency; it is preferred that you have other documents confirming the validity of your information such as your ‘Identity Card’ or ‘Work Permit’.
8-Your travel agency or you will then go to the Expatriates Affairs Department located in your area in order to obtain their seal on the travel document so that you can travel back to your country.
One of the main treasures and rarities of library of the Grand Mosque in Mecca is the manuscript of 'Fawaid Al-Bazaz', aka 'Al-Gheilaniyat', which assumes the first place in the library that is classified as the oldest library in the world, as its giving started thirteen centuries ago.
The manuscript dates back to the fifth Hijri century and is displayed with another group of books and rare publications. Of course, to put the definition of a manuscript in a nutshell, it includes any handwritten book or document that is thousands of years old.
The library of the Grand Mosque in Mecca is honored to have the world's only complete copy of the manuscript of Majma' Al-Bahrain fi Zawaid Al-Mu'jamin book by Al-Haithami of 494 A.H., along with Al-Ghafeqi's book Mussnad Al-Muatta', which was transcribed in 693 A.H.
In addition, the library contains about six thousand eight hundred forty two original manuscripts and two thousand six hundred thirty four photocopied manuscripts.
The General Presidency for the affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque made the wish of millions of visitors come true as it established another branch for the library inside the Grand Mosque.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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