Coronavirus-hit Haj cuts deep for Pakistan pilgrims and businesses
Koran tutor Muhammad Asim should have been packing to leave his Karachi home for Mecca next week to perform one of the most sacred, once-in-a-lifetime obligations for Muslims, the Haj pilgrimage. But that was before COVID-19 hit.
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SR10,000 in fine for Hajj permit violators
Fines amounting to SR10,000 will be slapped on those who enter the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat without a Hajj permit, Okaz/Saudi Gazette has learned from well-informed sources.
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No plan to charge expressway users
Reacting to a video clip that recently went viral showing an unidentified person claiming that the Saudi authorities are planning to impose a toll on users of a highway linking Makkah and Jeddah, the ministry official on Sunday denied claims that toll gates will be set up on some roads.
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Tajik Doctor Donates Her Precious Hajj Savings To Help Battle Coronavirus Back Home
Shirin Nazirmadova, a doctor from southern Tajikistan, has been saving for years to afford the hajj pilgrimage. She will not wait for another year for the chance to visit the Islamic holy sites she hoped to see this year. Instead, she donated the hajj money she saved to her local Farkhor district hospital to buy much-needed supplies to help battle the coronavirus
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Work on Grand Mosque’s main entrance is progressing
Work continues to complete the construction of King Abdulaziz Gate, Grand Mosque's main entrance. The gate, a marvelous Islamic architectural masterpiece, will give a straight visual treat of the Holy Kaaba to the faithful. They can view Islam's holiest shrine 300 meters away from the entrance.
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Requests from 160 nationalities have been screened to select Hajj pilgrims
Requests from people of 160 nationalities in the Kingdom have been screened electronically to select who will perform Hajj this year, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said on Sunday.
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Expats’ Hajj Registration Ends in Saudi Arabia
A five-day Hajj registration deadline for expatriates residing in Saudi Arabia ended on Friday as the kingdom is bracing for holding a limited pilgrimage due to fears of the new coronavirus.
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Madinah governor stresses need to improve water services
Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman on Saturday stressed the importance of collaboration and cooperation between the National Water Co. (NWC) and relevant government agencies to improve the efficiency of water and sanitation services in the region, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
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Two Holy Mosques chief launches Hajj season plan
The president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has launched the plan to receive Hajj pilgrims this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Holy sites gear up to receive Hajj pilgrims
The holy sites are gearing up to receive the Guests of God for the annual pilgrimage of Hajj, which is 20 days away. On a tour of the holy sites, Okaz/Saudi Gazette saw that all the concerned agencies are finalizing their arrangements to receive pilgrims in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.
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How the journey to a Covid-19 vaccine began on the Hajj
Lebanese-American virologist Hadi Yassine played a pivotal role in the development of the first Covid-19 vaccine candidate
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Makkah governor maps tourism-sector growth for region
Makkah region’s great potential and natural diversity were key factors toward developing a flourishing tourism sector, its governor has claimed. Speaking during a video conference call with Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khatib, Makkah Gov. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal discussed prospects to further open up the region as a visitor destination.
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