Residents of Makkah have been treated to a laser light display that filled the sky with the first Qur’anic verse revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

The verse was beamed over the district of Jabal Al-Noor, 4 km northeast of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and home to the Cave of Hira, where the prophet received the first revelation by the Angel Gabriel.

Dr. Fawaz Al-Dahas, director of the Makkah History Center, said: “Jabal Al-Noor has a historical value for Muslims in general, and is one of the most important historical and archaeological sites in Makkah.

“Throughout history, it was called Mount Hira, but it has been named Jabal Al-Noor (Mount of Light) in reference to the light that radiated throughout the earth after the first verse of the Holy Qur’an, ‘Read in the name of thy Lord who created,’ was revealed.”

He added that the prophet remained secluded for days at Jabal Al-Noor, reflecting on God’s greatness and rejecting polytheism.

Al-Dahas said: “What distinguishes Makkah from the rest of the world’s cities is that it is an open museum. All its mountains, valleys, rocks and cemeteries represent a unique history, telling immortal stories of the prophet and his honorable companions.”

Abdullah Al-Azhari, a resident of Jabal Al-Noor, said: “The first revealed verse of the Holy Qur’an with laser lights on Jabal Al-Noor gave a spiritual dimension to the place, adding prestige and veneration.”

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to enrich the religious and cultural experience of visitors, especially at sites that hold historical importance for Muslims.

The laser display was organized by Samaya Investment Co., which is also building two cultural projects in Makkah: A Museum of Revelation in Jabal Al-Noor and a Museum of Migration.

The cultural centers aim to acquaint visitors with the history and legacy of the prophet’s mission, through presentations from the pre-Islamic era to the present.

Under the direct supervision of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites and other agencies, work has also begun to establish the Hira Cultural District on an area of more than 67,000 sq. meters.

It will comprise many cultural and tourist spots such as the Revelation Gallery and the Holy Qur’an Museum.

The gallery, one of the main parts of the Hira Cultural District, will highlight the revelations to the prophet through an advanced technical presentation, and the museum will highlight the Holy Qur’an’s content through presentations.  

Mohammed Al-Hussaini, a local resident, said: “The great cultural projects would put an end to the randomness that we used to live in. The place will become more organized and have a civilized look.

“We are eagerly waiting for the completion of the entire project, which will reflect spiritually, socially and culturally on the place.”

Source – Arab News

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The use of interactive educational touch-screens in the Grand Mosque in Makkah has been suspended as part of efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The precautionary measures were introduced by the moderation and intellectual security department of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

Department director, Ali bin Hamid Al-Nafie, said the move was aimed at preventing and limiting the spread of the killer virus while creating a peaceful environment for visitors. He added that some digital content could still be viewed remotely via the presidency’s portal and fixed displays.

Saudi Arabia has implemented additional sanitization steps at the Two Holy Mosques, restricted entry for foreign pilgrims and put in place other preventive steps nationwide. Government agencies, such as the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosque and the Saudi Post, have suspended the use of automated fingerprint identification systems over coronavirus fears.

Governments in the Middle East have taken precautionary measures to combat the spread of the disease.

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The General Authority for Meteorology and Environmental Protection has warned of scorching heat and dusty winds in the coming days. Rising temperature and dusty winds will continue all through the summer, it said.

Scorching sun coupled with dust are commonly known here as Al-Safi under which the visibility will decrease remarkably.

The authority said sandstorms will adversely affect traffic on expressways of the Sahel cities including Makkah, Madinah, Asir and Jazan.

Abdul Rahman Kammas, environmental expert, said Al-Safi with soil particles will affect both the humans and the machines.

He advised people, especially those having asthma symptoms, to avoid Al-Safi when traveling between cities.

Kammas advised motorists to cover the front of the car and head lamps with transparent plastic to protect them against any damage that might be caused by the Safi.

Dr. Nassruddin Al-Sharif, a pediatrician, asked parents not to subject their children to dust and sandstorms.

He advised people to wear masks when going out and to constantly change them.

The General Authority of Meteorology and Environment Protection forecasts the weather to be dusty winds in Riyadh, Western, Southern, and Eastern regions.

The authority’s report states that the surface wind movement in the Red Sea is west-northerly to northerly at a speed of 20-48 km/h, while the surface wind movement in the Arabian Gulf is westerly to west-northerly at a speed of 15-35 km/h..

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The Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has supplied the Grand Mosque with 10,000 new Zamzam containers, according to Makkah daily.

The new containers have increased their number in the Grand Mosque to more than 25,000.

These containers are filled with the blessed Zamzam water every day for the use of the Umrah pilgrims, worshipers and visitors.

There are also about 650 fixed marble stations and 216 steel tanks in the Grand Mosque from where the pilgrims and visitors may drink the blessed water.

A number of the presidency staff are also serving Zamzam water in the mataf area, walkways and other prayer places.

The new containers are of high quality and keep the water cool in all weather conditions.

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The Makkah Region Development Authority is almost at the end of the manufacturing stage of 400 buses, which comes within the Makkah public transport project. The manufacturing and procurement stage is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019, while the buses will become operational by the start of 2020.

This project aims to transport and serve the pilgrims and the city’s residents and ensure the smooth flow of traffic.

The buses will be Eco-friendly, equipped with navigation systems, automatic collection and payment systems, facilities for people with special needs, Wi-fi service, sophisticated air conditioning systems that cope with the city’s atmosphere, automated audio and video information systems, security systems and explanatory electronic screens.

The Authority’s spokesperson, Eng. Jalal bin Abdul Jalil Kaaki, affirmed that “the manufacturing stage already started.” “Specialists will be carrying out the examination and evaluation part through several stages.”

“With the first two stages of examination and evaluation completed, the work is now focused on the execution of the third and final stage. It will include the testing of a prototype on the streets of Vienne, Austria and on the streets of Makkah, in addition to testing the vehicle’s fuel and air conditioning efficiency,” he added, noting that “all is going according to the scheduled time frame.”

The signing of the manufacturing and procurement contract with the Saudi company Nesma and the Spanish TNC was sponsored by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Makkah Region.

The contract includes the operation and maintenance provisions for ten operational year and procuring, operating and maintaining 400 buses at a total cost of SR3.2bn ($853m).

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The number of Umrah visas issued this year has reached 3,024,272, of which 2,561,541 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom, according to data provided by the Hajj and Umrah Ministry.

There are 399,479 pilgrims still in the Kingdom, with 277,372 in Makkah and 122,107 in Madinah.

Most pilgrims — 2,288,789 — came to the Kingdom by air, while 257,266 entered by land and 15,486 arrived by sea.

The largest number of pilgrims are from Pakistan (681,392) followed by Indonesia (447,450), India (306,470), Yemen (146,067), Malaysia (142,290), Algeria (92,752), Turkey (86,925), Egypt (85,438), Bangladesh (53,131) and the UAE (62,927).

The weekly data also included the number of Saudi staff within Umrah companies and institutions. They are 9,983 Saudis including 8,259 males and 1,724 females.

Developing Hajj and Umrah organizations and services in the Kingdom is among the top priorities of the Saudi government.

The Vision 2030 reform plan aims to attract more than 30 million Umrah pilgrims, and provide them with excellent services and an outstanding experience.

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On behalf of King Salman, the governor of Makkah province, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal oversaw the washing of the holy Kaaba on Tuesday.

On his arrival at the Grand Mosque, he was received by Imam of the Grand Mosque Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais and the commander of Special Emergency Forces and commander of the Hajj Security Forces.

The Kaaba was washing from the inside with Zamzam water mixed with rose water and wipe down with a cloth.
After the Kaaba washing ceremony, the prince toured the Grand Mosque.

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Thousands of cleaners are busy separating plastic from other rubbish as more than two million Muslims wrap up a pilgrimage to Makkah that presents a huge environmental challenge for Saudi Arabia.

The Mamuniya camp in Mina near Makkah is dotted with colour-coded barrels — black for organic waste and blue for cans and plastics for recycling.

It’s all part of an initiative to reduce the environmental footprint of the Haj, one of the world’s largest annual gatherings.

More than 42,000 tonnes of waste are produced during the pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest sites, according of Mohammad Al Saati, head of sanitation for the Makkah municipality.

“We’re facing some real challenges, primarily the sheer volume of waste produced … along with the number of pilgrims, the limited space around the holy sites, different nationalities and the weather,” Al Saati told AFP.

“Islam as a religion does not encourage excess,” he added.

“Pilgrims can be friends of the environment. It starts by raising awareness back home.”

The Haj, which started on Sunday and ends on Friday, drew nearly 2.4 million Muslims from around the world this year, according to official Saudi figures.

More than 13,000 sanitation workers and supervisors were hired during the pilgrimage season, which saw temperatures rise to 44 degrees Celsius this week.

A handful of camps in the town of Mina, the site of the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual during Haj, have begun to implement plans to turn “green”, cutting back on waste and encouraging pilgrims to do their part.

Banners hanging near the Kaaba also featured the recycle logo this year.

Authorities aim to cut waste volumes by two-thirds by 2030, Al Saati said, with a plan that speaks to both environmental ethics and religious belief.

Sorted waste collected from the pilgrimage sites will be sold to companies that handle recycling.

All proceeds will be given to charity in standing with the Muslim belief in “sadaqah”, or voluntary donations.

Workers in bright green vests made their way across the streets and alleys, picking up soda cans and plastic water bottles as pilgrims packed their things to return home.

Signs encouraging pilgrims to sort their waste could be seen across the Mamuniya camp — along with signs reading “sadaqah, not litter”.

“The idea of an environmentally friendly camp is really important to us, to preserve the sanctity of the site,” said Hatem Mumena, the camp’s general manager.

But he admits there is still far to go, as the numbers of pilgrims attending Haj is expected to rise. Saudi Arabia hopes to welcome some 30 million pilgrims per year by 2030.

“This is just the beginning,” Mumena said.

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The Saudi Justice Ministry has announced that it has set up 18 judicial panels and six mobile notaries across Makkah, Mina, and Arafat, as part of its preparation to serve hujjaaj in this year’s Hajj season.

“The ministry uses all its resources to provide legal services during the hajj season, to which the Kingdom attaches great importance. We are privileged to serve hujjaaj during their holy journey,” said Hamad Al-Khudairi, head of the Hajj committee in the ministry.

“Justice Minister Waleed Al-Samaani has urged the assigned panels to get ready early in order to fulfill all legal and security procedures within the integrated system of various government agencies serving the pilgrims,” Al-Khudairi said.

The ministry has enhanced all its judicial panels, spread throughout the holy sites, with qualified staff to facilitate the work and decide on the urgent cases of hujjaaj, he said.

The ministry has also been keen to provide mobile units to serve hujjaaj wherever they may be during the Hajj journey, paying special attention to those with special needs and the elderly, he added.

“Mobile notarial services will be extended to hujaaj, those serving them, such as paramedics and security forces; and everyone in the holy places,” Al-Khudairi explained. “The assigned staff will go to the person in need of service at his or her exact location, whether it is an ambulance, a hospital, or otherwise.”

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Saudi Arabia’s General Union of Motor Vehicles has prepared an integrated plan to transport more than 1.8 million pilgrims by 18,400 buses during this year’s Hajj, which will begin later this month.

Union president Abdul Rahman bin Maayouf al-Harbi praised the “great support received by the state sectors participating in the service of pilgrims,” saying this was a “great motivation to continue year after year in the development” of Hajj.

He said the plans were in line with the kingdom achieving Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and National Transformation Program.

He said a fleet of modern and sophisticated transport buses have been provided by transport companies and institutions through 34 companies under the umbrella of the General Union of Vehicles.

They will provide transportation for pilgrims to destinations in Mecca and Madinah, with GPS technology used to guide the buses and avoid delays and promote efficiency with frequent journey timings.

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Saudi Arabia’s General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque reveals that the ‘Kiswa’ is now ready to be placed on the Kabaa. The embroidered black and gold cloth is due to cover the holy site on morning of the day of Arafah (predicted on the 20th of August).

Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Mansouri, the director-general of the King Abdul Aziz Complex for the Kaaba, said that the general presidency has been following the plan for this year’s 2018 Hajj season and carried out the usual routine of changing the Kaaba’s ‘Kiswa’.

He added that a team of specialists and technicians worked with caution to assure the cleanliness and safety of the ‘Kiswa’.

The ‘Kiswa’ is woven from pure silk, and embellished by gold-plated thread illustrating verses from the Quran. It is classified as a work of Islamic art produced by top-skilled craftsmen.

The covering of the Kaaba signifies of the start of the Hajj season.

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As of Monday 185,360 pilgrims had arrived in Madinah, Madinah-based National Pilgrim Guide Foundation announced in its daily statistics.

The statistics reported that 159,599 pilgrims remained in Madinah and the others left for Makkah.

The Madinah airport Haj lounge is able to accommodate 3,800 arriving and 3,500 departing passengers an hour.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said it has prepared 14 travel lounges at Madinah airport consisting of 192 immigration counters, 18 gates and 10 conveyer belts.

The airfield at Madinah airport can simultaneously accommodate 26 aircraft.

So far Turkish pilgrims lead other nationalities in Madinah with 38,318, followed by Indonesia with 34,968, India with 25,267 pilgrims, Pakistan 21,585, and Afghanistan 10,518 pilgrims.

Chairman of private organization for guides Hatim Bali expected 1.8 million pilgrims to visit Madinah this Haj.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said that up to Sunday 54,619 pilgrims had arrived at Jeddah airport aboard 278 flights, registering an increase of 28% from last year.

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As many as 72,037 people and 30,449 vehicles were turned back from various entry points to Makkah as of Friday as the security authorities intensified their campaign to stop unauthorized entry into the holy city ahead of Haj.

The ban on the entry of unauthorized people to Makkah began on July 9 and will be in force till the end of Haj.

Only three categories of expats are being allowed to enter Makkah. They are the holders of Haj permits, those with Iqamas (residence permits) issued from Makkah, and those having permits to work during Haj season.

The Emirate of Makkah said on its Twitter account that 5,933 vehicles and 710 people were turned back from the Taneem check post near Aysha Mosque in Makkah.

The Buhaitia check post near Sayl in Taif prevented 626 unauthorized vehicles and 1,202 people from entering Makkah.

The security authorities are carrying out inspections around the clock at checkpoints located at Shumaisi new and old, Kakiah, Sharayah to prevent the entry of unauthorized people.

Permits to work in Makkah and holy sites during Haj season have been issued through web portal this year.

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The General Presidency for the Holy Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque started implementing its two-month plan for the upcoming Hajj season, stretching from the beginning of the current month until the end of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah.

The authority’s President Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz al-Sudais said that the Presidency is keen to make all early preparations for the Hajj season for this year 1439, including a number of services, covering administrative and human resources, guiding, engineering and technical fields.

He also pointed out that the plan during this year’s Hajj season is working to achieve a number of goals, including the helping pilgrims to perform their duties with the utmost ease while making sure that the plan goes on without any hindrances, making all its venues available for the Great Mosque’s pilgrims and guiding them with wisdom and good advice as well as providing all the necessary services and preparing all the facilities and venues and ensuring they are ready in the best possible way.

He also indicated that it was done in partnership and coordination with the relevant institutions, governmental and security parties headed by the ministry of interior and the regions of Mecca and Medina.

Concerning the pilgrims’ guidance, Sudais stressed the availability of a number of important services provided by public administrations including a Guidance and advising service that is concerned with raising the awareness of pilgrims and visitors conducting their worship in the most appropriate way and according to legitimate requirements, this includes: workshops conducted by a number of religious figures from sheikhs, instructors and scholars, the distribution of the Quran, pamphlets, religious and advisory books, the translation of Friday sermons in the Holy Mosques in a number of languages ,and organizing and arranging the visits and the salutations to the Prophet (saw) and the Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them, as well as arranging the entrance and praying of women in the Rawdah Mubarak without mixing with men ,and that three times during the day and the night.

He also underlined the fact that the foundation has been working on the instantaneous interpretation of Friday khutbahs in the Holy Mosque and that in 10 languages in addition to organizing all the gates and stairs during the Hajj season which amount to 210 gates in the Holy mosque and 100 gates in the Prophet’s mosque, 28 escalators in the Holy Mosque and 4 in the Prophet’s mosque as well as 38 entrances allocated to people with special needs and 7 to women in addition to 7 bridges , 7 ferries and one single funeral entrance.

Concerning the water of the well of ZamZam, there are 660 marble water fountains in the Holy Mosque, 60 water fountain in the Prophet’s Mosque and a number of water dispensers precisely 25,000 in the Holy Mosque and 23,000 in the Prophet’s Mosque in addition to 352 Aston reservoirs, 10,000 vehicles and 700 electric vehicles.

The interpretation will also include the translation of the sermon into sign language for the deaf pilgrims. Furthermore, services will be provided to people with special needs with settees and golf carts allocated to the transportation of the elderly pilgrims and visitors.

King Abdul Aziz Foundation will also contribute through the renovation of the Holy Kaaba’s Kiswah (gold-laced cover) and substitution with a new cover and that on the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah.

The number of humidifiers and air fresheners will also be increased in the corridors of the Holy Mosque in order to welcome visitors and worshipers.

The air fresheners will be equipped with the finest incense and the best variety of coal which preserves heat without causing any smell or sparks. The air fresheners used are made of colloidal copper and covered with a colloidal perforated silver coat that allows to diffuse the incense with all caution.

Regarding the project of increasing the capacity of pilgrims, he stated that the total number of pilgrims has reached 107 thousand person per hour and pointed out that the third phase of the Saudi expansion will be beneficial.

The air conditioning of the first floor was also beneficial from the Safaa stairs to half of King Fahd’s expansion, and the air conditioning of the cellar to the second phase with the first phase of the Saudi expansion, and that starting from the King Abdul Aziz Gate to the middle of the area in front of King Fahd’s vault, but also air conditioning the ground floor of the first phase of the Saudi expansion from the Safa stairs to half of King Fahd’s expansion. Taking advantage of the bridge leading to the Mas’aa of the Marwa as well as the air conditioning of the mataf project for the first and ground floors in addition to the cellar.

Efforts were also made in allocating 600 air fans to the Great Mosque and its squares, 4500 air fans in the corridors of the mataaf and 250 umbrellas in the Prophet’s Mosque as well as a number of 52,499 carpets in the Great Mosque of Mecca and the Prophet’s mosque.

As for sanitation, more than 8411 thousand washrooms were made available and more than 6000 thousand water tap were distributed in the squares of the Great Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque among other services necessary to every pilgrim.

All the electrical switching lines for the main audio and its back up were supplied. Hence, securing the audio system with the stability of the electrical power without any interruption.

In regards to the administrative and human axis, he affirmed that the implementation of this plan in the Two Holy Mosques is being executed by more than 10,000 thousand of the human resources staff.

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The General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs has prepared 60 classic incense burners, known locally as “Mabkhara,” to perfume the religious sites on a daily basis with bukhoor and oudh fragrances.

The Saudi Press Agency ran a series of photos showing the process of how Bukhoor is used to scent the Holy Kabaa and the Majid al-Haram. It also said the Black Stone or al-Hajre Aswad, is scented with oudh five times a day using more than five kilos of the fragrance.

The step is part of the general presidency’s efforts to take a good care of the holy sites as well as provide an atmosphere of serenity to worshippers attending the mosques.

The presidency works aim to provide the best and most prestigious services to pilgrims at the holy mosques as per a special operative plan during this year’s Ramadan.

Source – Al Arabiya

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For more than 16 centuries, before the introduction of Islam to the world, the grandsons of Qusai bin Kilab bin Murrah specialized in caring for the Kaaba, including keeping its keys. One of the branches of the bin Murrah family was the al-Shaiba tribe who were given the keys of the holy site by Prophet Mohammed in the year of the conquest of Mecca.

The Bani Shaiba or the sons of Shaiba are the tribe that holds the keys to the Kaaba today. They are in charge of the ‘Sudnah’ of the Kaaba which means the complete care of it including opening and closing it, cleaning and washing it, and caring for its Kiswah or cladding.

The inside of the Kaaba gets washed twice a year on the first of Shabaan and 15th of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. Fajr prayers are performed in the holy site of al-Haram al-Makki before the washing process, where only Zamzam and rose water are used.

A video surfaced of the sheikh of the Shaiba tribe, Saleh al-Shaiba, displaying the keys of the Kaaba, the Tawba door which grants access to the roof of the Kaaba and Maqame Ibrahim.

He added that the key is made of metal and is 35 centimeters long. It was changed and developed several times throughout the centuries. Today, the key and lock of the Kaaba are made of nickel plated with 18-carat gold while the interior Kiswah or cladding of the Kaaba is green after it has historically been red.

Al-Zulfah said that the shape of the key changes every now and then. There is a museum in Turkey with 48 keys to the Kaaba since the Ottoman era, while in Saudi Arabia there are two replicas of the key that are made of pure gold.
Al-Zulfah said that it is custom for the key to be with the oldest tribe member.

Source – Al Arabiya

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For four decades, Ali Ahmed al-Mulla has been the muazzin of Grand Mosque of Makkah, in a family tradition handed down from one generation to other.

Muazzin Ali is nicknamed ‘Bilal’ of the Grand  Mosque of Makkah following in the foot steps of ‘Bilal’ the first Muazzin during Prophet Mohamed time, for his beautiful voice and fascinating stories and tales he talks about during his preaching.

Born in 1945 in Makkah to a family of muezzins at Makkah Grand Mosque, he became the official muazzin in 1975 following the death of his uncle’ son Sheikh Abdullmalak al-Mulla. While his grandfather Sheikh Ali and his father Siddique and both his uncles and two of his cousins preceded doing this job.

Al-Mulla says that the best news he heard was when his father informed him that he will be the muazzin of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, adding that a lot of his friends also encouraged him.

Muazzin al-Mulla said he witnessed in 1979 the incident when prayer at the Grand Mosque was halted for 23 days when the Haram was besieged by Juhayman al-Aoutaibi who occupied the Grand Mosque, and pledged allegiance to the person who claimed to be the Mahdi under the Kaaba.

He added that after the blockade was lifted, he performed the first Azaan during Maghrib prayer in the presence of King Khaled Bin Abdul Aziz.

Source – Al Arabiya

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Eighteen British pilgrims were on bus at time of crash between Mecca and Medina

Four Britons have been killed in a coach crash in Saudi Arabia after their bus collided with a petrol tanker, their travel agent has confirmed.

The crash happened on Saturday morning on the road between the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, according to Gulfaraz Zaman, a director of Blackburn-based Hashim Travel, which organised the trip.

A woman and her son were among the dead and the other two victims were a man and woman in their 60s or 70s, he said. All were taking part in an umrah Islamic pilgrimage.

The crash happened near Al Khalas, a settlement roughly 30 miles north of Mecca, the Foreign Office (FCO) said.

Many of the 14 other British pilgrims on the bus were injured. Zaman said: “There are broken legs, broken noses, one person has a brain haemorrhage. Those who survived were thrown out of the bus, which set on fire, along with the oil tanker. If you see photographs of the bus there’s just the frame of it left.”

Five or six remained in hospital with burns and broken limbs, he said.

Eighteen pilgrims were on the bus at the time, all guests of Hashim Travel. They were from Blackburn, Preston, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Northampton, said Zaman. The youngest, a girl of about six, hurt her head, he said.

They were halfway through a two-week pilgrimage when the accident happened. Hashim Travel charges £1,150 for the trip, according to its website. While the hajj takes place on fixed dates in the Islamic calendar, pilgrims can go to Mecca to perform the rituals of umrah at any other time of the year.

FCO representatives were helping the survivors to return home, said Zaman: “All of their belongings have been burned; their passports and everything.”

The families of the dead have been informed and the travel company has arranged for them to fly out to Saudi Arabia.

An FCO spokesman confirmed there were British fatalities among the victims, but said details were still emerging.

He said: “We are supporting the British families of those who have died and those injured following a serious road traffic accident near the town of Al Khalas, Saudi Arabia.”

Source – The Guardian

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Saudi Arabia marked the completion of a rehabilitation project for Makkah’s holy Zamzam well in a ceremony Tuesday.

Prince Khalid Al Faisal Bin Abdulaziz, the advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and governor of Makkah region, participated in the opening ceremony for the completion of the renovation project for the well and surrounding area in Makkah’s Grand Mosque, also known as Masjid al-Haram, the official SPA news agency reported.

The Directorate General of Works of Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi said in a written statement that barriers which had been put around the Kaaba for the rehabilitation work were removed.

There are 21 meters between the Zamzam well and the Kaaba.

The Kaaba, located in Masjid al-Haram, is the holiest site for Muslims which they face during prayers.

Source – Anadolu agency

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The high-speed Haramain train’s importance to Saudi Arabia has been highlighted with an announcement by King Salman that he will rely on the super-fast service for his next visit to Madinah.

The city’s governor, Prince Faisal bin Salman, expressed his appreciation to the Saudi ruler for his support of public transport in the Kingdom, and especially for the high-speed Haramain train.

The project is part of the Kingdom’s role in serving pilgrims to the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque.

Prince Faisal used the high-speed rail for the journey to Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque of Makkah.

“The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman, has informed me of his intention to take the Haramain high-speed rail soon when he visits Madinah or departs from it to Makkah,” Prince Faisal said.

Among passengers for a journey that left Madinah on Friday were Prince Faisal, Minister of Transportation and chairman of the Saudi Railway Organization Nabil Al-Amoudi, and Chairman of the Public Transport Authority (PTA) and acting head of the Saudi Railways Organization Rumaih bin Mohammed Al-Rumaih.

Prince Faisal highlighted the importance of the project linking Makkah and Madinah through Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh in light of efforts to receive 30 million pilgrims as part of Vision 2030 program to diversify revenues.

He said the Haramain high-speed rail link was among the safest and most important transportation services in the world. The rail service will enhance the flow of visitors to the Two Holy Mosques through the link between the two holy cities.

The Madinah governor expressed confidence in the performance of the Saudi youth and the services they provide at the stations.

“What I saw invites me to register my honor and pride in the significant role played by young men and women in all stages of the development, including their effective contribution and participation in establishing and implementing the high-speed rail.”

Al-Amoudi said the support of Prince Faisal had made it easier to meet the challenges faced by work teams building the Haramain station in Madinah and the related phases within the time frame of the project.

He said the SR60 billion ($16 billion) high-speed train is on track to be fully operational this year.

Al-Amoudi said the pilot operation has been going to plan since the end of 2017. Project supervisors have organized regular trips in which a large number of governmental, non-governmental and charitable bodies have participated.

He said the PTA was focused on taking transport in the Kingdom to another level, guaranteeing opportunities for nationalization and thus achieving the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The Haramain train station was proof of the Kingdom’s competence in achieving such projects, he said.

The Haramain service is one of the biggest public transport projects in the Middle East, a 450-kilometer, two-way electric train linking Makkah and Madinah, with extensions to Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City.

The project will carry 60 million passengers a year on 35 trains, with a seating capacity of 417 per train and traveling at a speed of 300 kph.

The station is about three kilometers from the Grand Mosque in Makkah, while the Madinah station is located in the Knowledge Economic City on King Abdul Aziz Road.

Source – Arab News

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