Saudi ambassador to Argentina says farewell to this year’s pilgrims
Saudi ambassador to Argentina says farewell to this year’s pilgrims/node/2325046/saudi-arabia
Saudi ambassador to Argentina says farewell to this year’s pilgrims
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Argentina Hussein Al-Asiri held a farewell ceremony in honor of Argentine pilgrims, as part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj and Umrah implemented by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance. (SPA)
Saudi ambassador to Argentina says farewell to this year’s pilgrims
The ceremony was attended by Nayef Al-Fuaim, the acting director of the King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center
Updated 20 June 2023
Arab News
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Argentina Hussein Al-Asiri has held a farewell ceremony in honor of Argentine pilgrims, as part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj and Umrah implemented by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance.
The ceremony was attended by Nayef Al-Fuaim, the acting director of the King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center.
Al-Asiri said: “This program is among others implemented by the Kingdom’s government to serve Muslims across the world.”
He acknowledged the efforts of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, through the cultural center, to ensure the program’s success.
Argentine pilgrims expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the Kingdom’s government. They also recognized the ministry’s role in taking part in facilitating and ensuring the success of the program.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Farhan met in Paris on Tuesday with his French counterpart Rima Abdul Malak, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The pair discussed ways to develop bilateral cultural relations and cooperation between the Saudi Libraries Commission and the French National Library through holding exhibitions and displaying Arabic manuscripts, to enrich the cultural content of the two countries.
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Prince Badr commended Abdul Malak’s sponsorship of the memorandum of understanding signed in AlUla between the Royal Commission for AlUla and Centre Pompidou.
He also praised bilateral cultural efforts, which includes the participation of the Saudi Theater & Performing Arts and Heritage Commissions in the Paris Fair, and the Film Commission’s presence in Cannes Film Festival.
Cultural ties also include the cooperation between the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah and the Louvre Museum, by lending Islamic antiquities between them, as well as working on displaying part of the Islamic Art Biennale’s exhibits at the Louvre Museum in 2024.
Malaysia grateful for ‘smooth’ Hajj operations under Makkah Route
Special Hajj flights will conclude in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday
31,600 Malaysians will perform the Hajj pilgrimage this year
Updated 20 June 2023
Nor Arlene Tan
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is grateful for being part of Saudi Arabia’s flagship Makkah Route initiative, the chief of its Hajj operations has told Arab News, with the last batch of pilgrims set to depart from Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
Malaysia is among seven Muslim-majority countries — alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco, Turkey and Cote d’Ivoire — where Saudi Arabia opened its Makkah Route initiative.
“We are deeply grateful to Saudi Arabia for continuing the initiative in Malaysia for the fifth year. The Makkah Route initiative has indeed helped ease the journey of our hajj pilgrims significantly,” said Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman, executive of Tabung Haji — Malaysia’s Hajj board — and head of the Malaysian Hajj delegation.
“The Makkah Route initiative has proven to be very smooth, effective and helpful for Malaysian pilgrims. This could not have been done without the assistance rendered by various parties especially the Saudi Arabian government and its relevant government agencies.”
The program, launched in 2019, is dedicated to Hajj pilgrims, allowing them to fulfill all visa, customs and health requirements at the airport of origin, saving long hours of waiting. Upon arrival, pilgrims can enter the Kingdom without waiting, having already gone through visa and customs processes back home.
This year, 31,600 Malaysians are participating in the annual pilgrimage that is one of the five pillars of Islam. Most of them have already reached the Kingdom.
Rahman said they “admired and praised” Saudi efforts, which had “provided tremendous convenience” for the pilgrims, especially the elderly who, without the Makkah Route, would have spent long hours on immigration procedures at home and upon arrival.
When Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah saw off the first batch of pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia via the initiative earlier this month, he expressed his appreciation for the Kingdom’s Hajj services and assistance.
“We hope that the close relationship that has been established for a long time between Malaysia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue to serve the pilgrims,” the king said.
The special Hajj flights under the Makkah Route initiative will conclude in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
“The first phase of Hajj operations involving departure flights is almost completed and will end on June 21, 2023,” Rahman said.
“All praise to Allah, everything is progressing according to plan and the Hajj operation has been smooth.”
47th Grand Hajj Symposium fosters culture of innovation, service in Saudi Arabia
Al-Rabiah said in his opening remarks that the symposium would allocate a special session in which senior leaders could discuss operational programs that had been prepared for the Hajj season
Updated 20 June 2023
Nada Hameed
JEDDAH: The 47th Grand Hajj Symposium, organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, took place in Jeddah on Tuesday, under the title “Jurisprudence Facilitation in Hajj.”
The symposium was attended by prominent Saudi ministers including Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah; Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques; Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat, deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah; and Ayed Al-Gwinm, deputy minister for Hajj affairs, in addition to a group of scholars and intellectuals from the Islamic world, and representative delegations from Muslim countries.
The symposium aimed to advance the values of peace, understanding, and cooperation, and sought to establish a platform for discussing pressing and pivotal matters that could potentially impact the pilgrims’ journey as they engaged in the rituals.
Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat,
Deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah
Through the event the ministry attempted to highlight the cultural and civilizational role that Saudi Arabia had played in serving Hajj pilgrims since the founding of the Kingdom.
It also highlighted the most significant achievements, pioneering projects, and developments.
Al-Rabiah said in his opening remarks that the symposium would allocate a special session in which senior leaders could discuss operational programs that had been prepared for the Hajj season.
Hajj in the past was not like Hajj in our time, and it will be different in the future ... information technology is one of the key elements in Hajj.
Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat, Deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah
Four panel discussions were held at the symposium, including a session called “Service Readiness and Operational Plans: Key Enablers and Opportunities.”
Al-Gwinm said that there were more than 400 service packages offered by various companies, utilized by more than 1.4 million pilgrims.
He added that the ministry had worked with its partners to license service providers in order to achieve targets in regard to housing, food, and catering.
Hani Jokhdar, the deputy minister for public health, said that 32,000 health practitioners were providing services to pilgrims during the Hajj season through four regions and 14 health centers through land, air and sea ports.
Additionally, there are 32 hospitals and more than 140 health centers, which include 46 health centers in Arafat, 26 in Mina, 6 on pedestrian roads of the holy sites, and 16 in Jamarat.
Jokhdar advised pilgrims to use umbrellas due to the high temperatures expected.
He added: “I advise those who suffer from chronic diseases and pregnant women not to go to stone the Jamarat by themselves, and to appoint someone on their behalf to carry out this task because it involves walking long distances while it is sunny, which will pose a great risk to their health.”
Mashat, in his closing remarks, said that some 20,000 buses would serve pilgrims this year.
He added: “If these buses were lined up behind each other, it would form a distance of 350 km. We are talking about 2 million people traveling five times in five days.
“Hajj in the past was not like Hajj in our time, and it will be different in the future ... information technology is one of the key elements in Hajj.”
Regarding technology, Al-Gwinm told Arab News: “The Hajj smart bracelet will serve in tracking pilgrims and managing crowds.
“Nusuk platform will help the pilgrim to choose the service operator for performing the rituals, as well as issuing the necessary permits and visas. It is the comprehensive application for the Hajj journey.
“We also use the Tafweej platform, in which all transportation-related issues are included, to ensure that the pilgrims move from their homes in Makkah to the holy sites, and from there to the Grand Mosque easily.”
The Grand Hajj Symposium was established in 1970 and highlights Saudi Arabia’s esteemed regional and international position as a beacon of religion and culture.
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli aggression in Jenin raid that led to the death of 6 Palestinians
Updated 20 June 2023
Lama Alhamawi
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned Israeli aggression in the city of Jenin the previous day that led to the death of six Palestinians and injured dozens of others.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement denouncing and condemning the Israeli escalation of actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Kingdom expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Palestine, wishing those injured a speedy recovery.
The ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of the serious violations committed by Israeli occupation forces.
News agency Associated Press reported that Israeli military forces raided a refugee camp in the northern West Bank which left six Palestinians dead, including a 15-year-old boy, while injuring more than 90, according to Palestinian health officials.
AP originally reported five Palestinian fatalities, but the toll increased when 48-year-old Amjad Abu Jaas succumbed to wounds sustained in a gun battle. Eight Israeli soldiers were wounded while a dozen Palestinians were left in a critical condition.
Last month the Kingdom condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and reiterated Saudi Arabia’s firm position toward the Palestinian people.
Thousands of Jewish nationalists, some of them chanting “Death to Arabs” and other slogans, paraded through the main Palestinian thoroughfare of Jerusalem’s Old City on Thursday.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council have reiterated their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Saudi foreign minister spoke about the Kingdom’s stance on the Palestinian cause during a panel discussion on “The Geostrategic Role of Middle Eastern Countries” at the Munich Security Conference in February.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “We have a moral responsibility to try to find a pathway to peace because the suffering that will come both in Palestine and in Israel if we don’t find a pathway to peace is indescribable.
“Therefore, we will do what we can. We will engage with whomever we can to find that pathway.”
French scientific research team spends 40 days in Saudi desert
The study of Saudi Arabia’s climate is the third and final mission for the Deep Climate expedition, which started with the study of tropical heat and humidity at Guiana Amazonian Park in French Guiana, followed by the study of dry cold in Lapland, Finland
Updated 20 June 2023
Arab News
RIYADH: The Deep Climate team, led by researcher and explorer Christian Clot, traveled through the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve in the north of Saudi Arabia to study human resilience to climate change.
The team of 33 volunteers studied the hot-dry climate for 40 consecutive days in May and June, which fall during the summer season at the royal reserve. The Deep Climate team walked 320 km from Al-Jouf in the north to Jubbah in Hail in the south of the reserve.
They carried out scientific tests on the impact of heat on the human body and mind in the Saudi desert’s extreme conditions, in cooperation with Alfaisal University and with the support of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority.
The team of 33 volunteers studied the hot-dry climate for 40 consecutive days in May and June, which fall during the summer season at the royal reserve. (Supplied)
The study of Saudi Arabia’s climate is the third and final mission for the Deep Climate expedition, which started with the study of tropical heat and humidity at Guiana Amazonian Park in French Guiana, followed by the study of dry cold in Lapland, Finland.
Deep Climate is interested in carrying out research in Saudi Arabia given the importance of the team’s work to various other areas of scientific research under Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to make the country one of the top ten nations in scientific competitiveness by 2030 and have five Saudi universities ranking among the top 200 universities in the world by the end of the decade.
The Kingdom boasts a vast wildlife reserve that extends across four regions: Al-Jouf, Hail, Tabuk, and the Northern Borders. It also features archaeological sites registered by UNESCO in Al-Jubbah, dating back more than eight centuries BC, adding to its appeal as a research destination.
