Tabung Haji announces transition to Wakalah concept savings contract from Dec 31
10 December 2019

Tabung Haji announces transition to Wakalah concept savings contract from Dec 31

Tabung Haji (TH) has announced the transition to the Wakalah concept savings contract that provides added value and benefits to depositors without affecting any of the existing facilities and benefits of account holders, effective Dec 31, 2019.

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Karnataka: Haj applications dip 40% in 2 years, but pilgrim number up
9 December 2019

Karnataka: Haj applications dip 40% in 2 years, but pilgrim number up

The number of applications to the Karnataka State Haj Committee has reduced by 40% in 2 years — from 23,514 in 2017 to 13,995 in 2019. However, the nu

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Tour operators decry slump in Umrah bookings
9 December 2019

Tour operators decry slump in Umrah bookings

In Kashmir, Umrah season starts from October and lasts all the way up to June. According to previous year’s statistics, on an average 15,000 Kashmiri would visit Saudi Arabia for Umrah pilgrimage from Jammu and Kashmir. However this year the numbers speak a different story. In October and November (2019) just 250 pilgrims have made their bookings for Umrah.

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16,000 volunteers take part in cleanliness drive
8 December 2019

16,000 volunteers take part in cleanliness drive

About 16,000 volunteering Saudi men and women participated in the initiative launched on the occasion of the International Volunteer Day to clean the districts, streets and shores in various parts of the Kingdom.

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Saudi minister receives head of Iranian Hajj organization
8 December 2019

Saudi minister receives head of Iranian Hajj organization

The Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mohammed Salih Bentin received today in his office in Makkah Ali Reza Rashidian, head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization in Iran in preparation of the upcoming season.

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Saudi Arabia’s Haramain Rail to resume operations on 11 December
8 December 2019

Saudi Arabia’s Haramain Rail to resume operations on 11 December

Saudi Arabia’s 450km Haramain High-Speed Rail network’s project management announced that the railway would resume trips on 11 December, 2019, following experimental operations and the completion of the railway station at the King Abdulaziz International Airport.

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Consumption of water in Holy Haram bathrooms to be cut by 65%
8 December 2019

Consumption of water in Holy Haram bathrooms to be cut by 65%

he General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques is planning to implement a study aimed at reducing water consumption in the bathrooms of the Grand Mosque by about 65 percent, according to Makkah daily on Sunday.

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Over 1.65m Umrah visas issued in three months
7 December 2019

Over 1.65m Umrah visas issued in three months

As many as 1,647,662 Umrah visas have been issued in three months and a total of 1,386,183 pilgrims have arrived, according to a statistical report issued by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah.

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Iranian official off to Saudi Arabia for talks on major Hajj ritual
7 December 2019

Iranian official off to Saudi Arabia for talks on major Hajj ritual

Head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Ali-Reza Rashidian left for Saudi Arabia on Saturday to hold talks with Saudi officials on the next year's Hajj ritual.

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Nigeria gets 95,000 slots, signs MoU with Saudi Arabia
7 December 2019

Nigeria gets 95,000 slots, signs MoU with Saudi Arabia

Nigeria has retains its 95,000 slot allocation for 2020 Hajj pilgrimage.

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Muslims concerned about $100 change
6 December 2019

Muslims concerned about $100 change

Imam Ali al­so raised con­cerns about the Mus­lims who had been sav­ing mon­ey to trav­el to Ha­jj and ques­tioned if the changeover would cre­ate com­pli­ca­tions for them.

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Indonesia expects 231,000-hajj quota
5 December 2019

Indonesia expects 231,000-hajj quota

The increasing quota of hajj pilgrims is good news for Muslims in Indonesia as it will reduce the waiting time for departures to the Holy Land. The average waiting period for the Indonesian hajj pilgrims is around 20 years, while the longest one is experienced by those in Bantaeng, South Sulawesi as it could reach up to 40 years.

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