Government | Wednesday 14 September, 2016 1:47 pm

Fiber optic project to boost security: Crown Prince

Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier, minister of interior and chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, expressed appreciation for the work done to complete a fiber optic cable network project for the Ministry of Interior. Work on the project has been completed in Riyadh city, the Holy...

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Government | Wednesday 14 September, 2016 1:43 pm

‘Haj rituals proceeding according to plans’

A top official said all security and military units participating in the management of Haj were serving in accordance with security and preventive plans set up before the pilgrimage started. Gen. Osman bin Nasser Al-Muhrej, director general of public security and chairman of the Haj Security...

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Government | Wednesday 14 September, 2016 1:39 pm

King Salman: Politicization of Haj ‘unacceptable’

 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman said Tuesday that the Kingdom rejects any attempt to play politics with Haj. Addressing dignitaries from Muslim countries at a reception at the royal court in Mina, the king said:  “The Kingdom utterly rejects any attempt to turn...

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Government | Wednesday 14 September, 2016 11:45 am

All-seeing ‘eye’ watches over Makkah pilgrims

Under a bank of monitors broadcasting live footage from more than 5,000 cameras, Saudi officers have kept their eyes on every route and gathering spot at this year’s Haj pilgrimage. As custodians of the most sacred sites in Islam, the authorities have been at pains to assure the world that...

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Government | Tuesday 13 September, 2016 3:25 pm

Jamarat Bridge divided into six levels

Makkah Development Authority has divided the hi-tech Jamarat Bridge in Mina into six levels to ensure smooth flow of pilgrims for the stoning-the-devil ritual without stampedes and other accidents. “The move aims at distributing the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims at various levels of...

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Government | Tuesday 13 September, 2016 3:15 pm

Hajis reassemble in Mina

It was a busy day for pilgrims who reassembled in Mina on Monday after spending the night in Muzdalifah. They stoned Jamarat Al-Aqaba (the big Satan), slaughtered sacrificial animals, shaved hairs, and got out of the state of ihram. A large number of them headed toward the Grand Mosque for Tawaf ...

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Government | Tuesday 13 September, 2016 2:29 pm

King Salman: We take great pride in serving pilgrims

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has said that serving the Two Holy Mosques is the greatest blessing. In a tweet on the day of Eid on Monday, he said: “Eid Al-Adha is the culmination of our pride in serving pilgrims, and also serving the Two Holy Mosques which are our greatest...

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Government | Tuesday 13 September, 2016 1:31 pm

Makkah governor lauds smooth flow of Hajis

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has described the movement of pilgrims from Mina to Arafat during the current Haj season as unprecedented. Speaking on Saudi TV Channel 1, Prince Khaled said the Kingdom is providing quality services to Haj and Umrah pilgrims, “which has stirred the envy ...

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Government | Monday 12 September, 2016 3:47 am

Grand Mosque has a capacity of 1.8m pilgrims after expansion

The Grand Mosque in Makkah has the capacity to accommodate around 1.8 million pilgrims, following its expansion, reflecting the keenness of the Kingdom to care for Haj and Umrah pilgrims. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman launched five major projects last year, including the main...

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Government | Monday 12 September, 2016 2:49 am

Kaaba gets a new Kiswa

The Kaaba, House of Allah, was dressed in its new Kiswa (the cloth that covers the Kaaba) after Fajr prayer on Sunday by as many as 86 technicians and weavers. The Kaaba is dressed in its new Kiswa on Dhul Hijjah 9, the Day of Arafat, every year. On this day the Grand Mosque is usually empty...

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