Ministry of Hajj and Umrah organizes 'Hajj Expo' in 2023
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that it will organize a conference and exhibition for Hajj and Umrah services, "Expo Hajj 2023", at the beginning of January next year 2023.
The Exhibition will be held in Jeddah. It aims at discussing the innovative services and solutions to facilitate procedures for the arrival of pilgrims to the Two Holy Mosques easily and smoothly, developing the quality of provided services, and contributing to enriching their religious and cultural experience. All of this will result in achieving the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 programs.
The conference seeks bringing together decision-makers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and researchers under one roof, to discuss and implement easy solutions and innovative options to ease the journey of performing Hajj and Umrah. The conference also focuses on presenting proposals for future projects to develop infrastructure, technical solutions, rehabilitate religious sites and historical monuments, that enhance the quality of provided services to the pilgrims, enriching their spiritual journey, and creating an unforgettable memory.
The "Hajj Expo" features a range of innovations, programs, and qualitative initiatives to develop the quality of provided services in the Hajj and Umrah sectors. It will also organize workshops that discuss the activities through which the Ministry seeks to achieve excellence and sustainability in serving pilgrims in cooperation with its partners from the governmental, private, and non-profit sectors; to achieve the objectives of the Pilgrim Experience Program – one of the programs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
The conference and exhibition is an attractive gateway for investors to build strategic partnerships with all stakeholders from the governmental, private and non-profit sectors, where efforts are combined to support the accelerating pace of digital transformation and technology applications and use them in the service of the pilgrims, following the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which provides an integrated strategy for the development of the Hajj and Umrah system with the use of human energies and material capabilities.
The conference will also witness holding many accompanying events and activities in the presence of several ministers of Islamic affairs, endowments and Hajj, ambassadors and consuls in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and agencies working in the system from the public and private sectors. All parties will be able to discuss how to achieve cooperation and mechanisms to achieve the main goals that contribute to the system's development. This will increase the satisfaction of pilgrims and enhance the quality of services to meet the needs of pilgrims and Umrah performers visiting Makkah and Madinah.
To participate in the Hajj and Umrah Services Conference 2023. Reservations are available through the following link:
MAKKAH: Sheikh Awad Moawad Al-Subhi Al-Harbi, who was reportedly boasted as the oldest man in Makkah Al Mukkaramah has passed away.
Sheikh Harbi was a well known figure in Masjid Al Haram as someone who used to attend the Five Daily Prayers regularly and was nicknamed ‘Dove of the Haram’. A few years ago, a recorded conversation of him with a visitor became viral on Social Media with the same details.
Since then Al Harbi became recognized among International visitors as well who easily spotted him during non-season times of the year in the Grand Mosque.
Scores of people shared their memories of him amid the news of his passing on social media.
4 million Umrah visas issued in 5 months: Ministry
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia issued 4 million Umrah visas for pilgrims from around the world since the start of this year’s season, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said.
It comes within the framework of the ministry’s efforts — in partnership with several sectors in the Hajj and Umrah industries — to facilitate the arrival of Umrah pilgrims through online visa applications on its website and Nusuk platform.
This aims to facilitate the arrival of Umrah pilgrims to the Kingdom, offering them high-quality services to perform rituals peacefully and enrich their cultural and spiritual journey, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 programs.
Pilgrims and visitors from abroad can find information about obtaining a visa and applying at haj.gov.sa/ar/InternalPages/Umrah. They can select packages and pay online through the Nusuk (nusuk.sa) and Maqam platforms at the following link: Maqam.gds.haj.gov.sa.
Muslims who have obtained personal, visit and tourism visas, along with other types of visas, can perform Umrah, as well as visit and pray in the Rawdah at the Prophet’s Mosque after booking appointments through the Nusuk platform.
Saudi Arabia has also extended the Umrah visa from 30 to 90 days, along with allowing pilgrims to enter the Kingdom through all air, land and sea entry points.
The Nusuk platform facilitates procedures to book an appointment for the Umrah pilgrimage and visit the Prophet’s Mosque for pilgrims who have obtained a visa, as part of easy online procedures around the clock.
Information on the list of authorized agents is provided by the ministry on: Eservices.haj.gov.sa/eservices3/pages/VisaInquiry/SearchVisa.xhtml?dswid=-4283.
Makkah Clock Royal Tower to launch children’s nursery in Ramadan
LONDON: Pilgrims staying at the Makkah Clock Royal Tower will be able to take advantage of child care facilities from Ramadan 2023, says the hotel’s CEO.
The Fairmont hotel will house a nursery to look after the children of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, Abdulaziz Almosa told Arab News.
The first phase will be launched next year, with the hotel having the capacity to look after 150 children.
Almosa added: “The second phase will be launched around the middle of 2024 when capacity will increase to between 300 to 500 children.”
He said the initiative was needed as it would allow pilgrims to take part in Hajj and Umrah secure in the knowledge that their children were being looked after.
He added it would also give children an insight into the holy city of Makkah and Islamic rituals at a young age, providing their religious foundation.
The children would be taken care of and entertained, but would also be educated about the rituals their parents were performing.
Almosa said high-tech bracelets would allow parents to locate their offspring, and cameras would monitor the child care facilities.
The CEO said that the current average length of stay at the hotel for international visitors was five days, but that the establishment was working to increase that period.
He added it was doing that by “improving the quality of stay, creating religious entertainment venues, improving food and beverage venues, and increasing opportunities for pilgrims to take part in trips and cultural experiences.”
Salem Al-Shahrani, the managing director of the hotel and three other establishments in the King Abdulaziz Endowment, said that Fairmont Makkah will soon be opening two new food outlets as part of the drive to improve the quality of stay for pilgrims.
He said an outlet serving Asian cuisine is due to open by the end of the year, and a sushi restaurant during the first quarter of 2023.
Almosa added: “Our efforts and ambition are part of a larger and noble vision: Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
“One of the vision’s objectives is to enable the largest number of Muslims possible to visit Makkah and to conduct their Umrah and Hajj seamlessly, smoothly, and safely.”
No COVID-19 requirements for Turkish Umrah performers: Hajj Minister
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah announced that all COVID-19 procedures and vaccination requirements for pilgrims coming from Turkey have been canceled, within the framework of new measures to facilitate the arrival of Umrah performers.
This came during a joint press conference between Al-Rabiah and Turkey’s Head of Religious Affairs Ali Erbas in the presence of other key officials from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the Saudi Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate General in Istanbul.
Al-Rabiah stated that Turkish pilgrims are excluded from any requirements, stressing that the Kingdom’s government and people welcome all pilgrims without limit to the number of arrivals while making it possible to perform Umrah for those who have all types of visas from all countries of the world, within the framework of the continuous support and attention Saudi Arabia provides to serve Islam and Muslims, and facilitate their arrival to perform their rituals easily and smoothly.
During the conference, Al-Rabiah expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome that he and his delegation received, noting the distinguished ties between the two countries under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He also referred to the rapid developments the Two Holy Mosques and the holy sites underwent in terms of infrastructure and organization to receive the expected increases in the numbers of pilgrims, Umrah performers, and visitors, and to provide them with the finest services, through digital transformation, and various options and solutions to enable Muslims from all over the world to perform Umrah.
Al-Rabiah further touched on the development of electronic services provided by the nusuk.sa platform to ease obtaining Umrah and visit visas and book all services instantly through smart devices to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques, and enrich the experiences of visitors.
Videos are appearing on social media about cheap umrah trips.
Take a cheap ticket to riyadh, or buy a flight ticket to qatar or any neighbor country and reach Riyadh by road. Then from Riyadh to Madinah by bus, then back from Makkah to Riyadh by bus. Reach your indian city by cheap flight.
They claim normal flight ticket to jeddah is 45k to 50k, here flight ticket is less than 20k.
Is this feasible.
More than 81m worshipers prayed at Prophet's Mosque since Muharram
Saudi Gazette report
MADINAH — The total number of worshipers who prayed at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah within 5 months since the beginning of Muharram until Jumada al-Ula of 1444 AH has reached more than 81 million worshipers.
This was revealed by President of the Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais.
He also added that more than 8 million worshipers have prayed in the Rawdah Sharif at the Prophet's Mosque and the old campus.
While more than 7 million visitors have visited and greeted the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, and his two companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
Dr. Al-Sudais said that the presidency has harnessed all the services for worshipers and visitors and removed all obstacles and difficulties through all of its departments to facilitate their rituals so that they could perform them with ease and comfort.
Emergency teams in place as Makkah braces for heavy rain
RIYADH: Makkah Municipality said emergency plans were in place on Wednesday in preparation for forecast heavy rain in the city.
Fully equipped field teams were standing by in all residential areas, ready to respond to protect residents and their possessions from danger and help keep them safe and secure, officials said. The teams will help manage water flows and prevent pooling as part of the municipality’s response to recent warnings issued by the National Center of Meteorology.
Earlier in the day, the NCM said thunderstorms accompanied by high winds would limit visibility in some parts of Madinah, Makkah and Al-Baha on Wednesday.
The municipality had already assembled an executive committee to supervise emergency planning, which allocated 10,552 workers, supervisors, controllers, engineers and field operatives to implement rain-related emergency plans. They have been provided with 2,556 items of equipment to help them respond to the expected bad weather. They will be directed by a unified emergency call center, which residents can contact 24/7 by calling 940.
Officials urged all residents to be cautious, heed warnings and follow instructions issued by authorities, and stay away from low-lying areas, valleys and streams, and to take the utmost care during this rainy period.
Promotion of 1000 employees of the Two Holy Mosques
BREAKING: The President of the Two Holy Mosques announces the promotion of 1000 employees of the Two Holy Mosques, the largest in the Presidency’s history
Statement from the Presidency: “The President confirms that the first comprehensive promotions in the history of the presidency embody the interest of the wise leadership in all those working in the service of the Two Holy Mosques and their pilgrims, and motivate them to achieve the highest standards of development and quality in the entire service system.”
Video Showing Snowfall In Masjid Al Haram Is Fake: Metrological Center
On Sunday, a video went viral across social media allegedly showing snowfall in Masjid Al Haram.
The video of of low quality and clearly with filters showed the Mataaf with Heavy Rainfall which could be mistaken for snowfall. The video went viral across social media with the caption ‘Snowfall in Haram’ particularly because snowfall is unheard of in the Two Holy Mosques.
The National Metrological Center of Saudi Arabia issued a statement on Sunday confirming that the video is a fake in the sense that white filters were applied to the video in an attempt to show the rainfall as snow.
The Two Holy Mosques have been seeing rainfall recently and it is likely a visitor uploaded the video.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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