Government | Thursday 15 September, 2016 12:42 pm

Hajis start leaving Mina

The valley of Mina on Wednesday appeared serene. The din and bustle of the first two days of Haj had almost died down as many pilgrims left Mina for Makkah and Madinah. On Wednesday, the second day of Tashriq, the pilgrims who were in a hurry threw stones at the three walls symbolizing the Satan ...

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Government | Thursday 15 September, 2016 12:39 pm

Royal tributes paid to security forces following Haj success

The once-in-a-lifetime journey of faith, endurance and determination for the hundreds of thousands of Muslims from 164 countries came to a successful end on Wednesday. Haj 2016 is being described as an overwhelming success. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif has hailed the great efforts exerted by the ...

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Government | Thursday 15 September, 2016 12:38 pm

Development of Jamrat Bridge reduces hardships for pilgrims

The vastness of the Jamrat Bridge in Mina has contributed to putting an end to Jamrat incidents. This giant structure has also contributed to easing hardship and fatigue, which badly affected pilgrims before the bridge was established in 2007. The bridge provides eleven entrances and twelve...

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Healthcare | Thursday 15 September, 2016 12:28 pm

‘Massive efforts were made to ensure disease-free Haj’

Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah announced on Wednesday that the current Haj season was free from epidemic diseases and that pilgrims were generally in good health. The Ministry of Health mobilized all human, material and mechanized means to provide preventive, curative, emergency and...

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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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Environment & Energy | Wednesday 14 September, 2016 1:00 pm

IEA: Saudi Arabia ousts US as biggest oil producer

Oil prices fell as much as 3 percent on Tuesday after both the world's consumers and producers revised forecasts that signaled the global crude glut persisting for much longer than previously expected. The International Energy Agency (IEA), which advises oil-consuming countries on their...

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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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