Netherlands and Dubai ban travellers from SA due to Covid variant
Many countries continue to bar travellers from SA, as they implement renewed lockdowns and travel restrictions due to new coronavirus variants.
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'Father of kittens' at Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem passes away due to COVID
For decades, Younis would drive over 90 minutes from his home in Arara, an Arab-Israeli town in northern Israel, five times a week to feed the cats and birds at the compound.
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German startup to help Saudi hotels utilize empty spaces
A German start-up established during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to help hotels overcome a slump in occupancy rates is now working in Saudi Arabia. NeuSpace aims to assist operators in coming up with new ways to generate revenue from their empty spaces.
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One Thousand Roads to Makkah: Four Women’s Stories
“One Thousand Roads to Mecca: Ten Centuries of Travelers Writing about the Muslim Pilgrimage” (collected and edited by Michael Wolfe) is a treasure trove: the chronicles of hujjaaj from across time and geography, including – to my special interest – Muslim women of varying backgrounds, in wildly different time periods. I immediately jumped to their […]
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Indonesia raises umrah reference rate to accommodate higher COVID-19 costs
The Indonesian government sets a minimum rate for umrah packages that travel agencies must follow.
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Madinah governor inaugurates exhibition of rare manuscripts
Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman on Tuesday inaugurated the exhibition of rare manuscripts in the library of the Prophet’s Mosque. The inauguration was attended by the president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, and the secretary-general of the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah),
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Hajjar: New project to be designed for enhanced dates sector production chain competitiveness and hence increased exports and jobs
The virtual exhibition aims to promote trade and investment in the Madinah dates sector as a contribution to the enhancement and advancement of local product, increase the province’s GDP by developing exports and establish trade relations with the external markets in the dates sector.
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Exhibit of rare manuscripts in Prophet’s Mosque to open this week
A permanent exhibition of rare manuscripts will open this week in the Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque in the holy Saudi city of Medina. Photo for illustrative purposes.
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Saudi Arabia launches $270m company to develop the holy sites
A $270 million company to develop Saudi Arabia’s holy sites has been launched. Kidana will be headquartered in Mina and is the first closed joint-stock company owned by the Royal Commission for Makkah Al-Mukarramah and the Holy Sites (RCMC).
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Reliving the Zubaida Trail
Darb Zubaida, or the Zubaida Trail, is one of the most important humanitarian and social projects of Islamic civilization. It stretches from Kufa, in Iraq, to Makkah, covering 420 kilometers inside the Kingdom alone, and was once known as a route for pilgrims and traders.
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Ministry seeks tax relief on import of tech equipment
The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has sought special tax exemption on the import of technical equipment in Pakistan by the KSA authorities for the Road-to-Makkah initiative, official sources told Business Recorder.
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Over six million faithful perform Umrah, pray at Grand Mosque
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques announced that the presidency has facilitated the performance of rituals by more than six million Umrah pilgrims and worshipers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah since the gradual resumption of the Umrah service and visit to the Two Holy Mosques.
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