"Makkah and Madinah News and Updates"

[baqai]

Insha Allah will be there from 22nd of this month till 30th

 

[Al-Andalus]

Market Report Makkah

Unlimited Demand for Growth of Makkah’s Hotel Sector​

Conrad Makkah Hotel - Lobby​

December 14, 2016

JLL, the world's leading real estate investment and advisory firm, today released its first report on 'Makkah, A City within a City' which assesses the real estate market in Saudi Arabia's most globally notable city given its status as Islam's most holy city.

With the world's 1.8 billion Muslims required to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah at least once in their lifetime the report addresses the trends and opportunities this presents across the city's hotel, office, residential and retail sectors.

Earlier this year JLL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Makkah Chamber of Commerce & Industry to help improve transparency in the Saudi real estate market. As part of the collaboration, JLL worked with key players and stakeholders in Makkah to release this first comprehensive report on the city's real estate market.

The report addresses an almost unlimited global demand for hotel and other tourist facilities in Makkah due to the continued growth of religious tourism, creating huge opportunities for both developers and investors to upgrade existing properties and create new ones. The pace at which the potential growth can be tapped into will rely on overcoming constraints including pilgrim quotas and investment in supporting transport infrastructure.

The Saudi 2030 Vision recognises the crucial role religious tourism can play in diversifying the economy away from dependence upon the oil and gas sector with religious pilgrims currently contributing 2% - 3% of Saudi's GDP. There are plans to roughly double the capacity to accommodate both Umrah and Hajj visitors to around 15 million and 5 million respectively by 2020.

The entry of international hotel brands into Makkah continues to reflect market confidence with brands such as Conrad selecting Makkah for entry into the Saudi market, Marriott and Best Western announcing expansion in the city and Carlson Rezidor entering with a pipeline which includes the Park Inn by Radisson Al Naseem Makkah (2016) and Park Inn by Radisson Aziziyah Makkah (2017).

Mr Jamil Ghaznawi, National Director and Country Head of JLL Saudi Arabia said: "Increasing religious tourism in line with 'Saudi Vision 2030' will create huge opportunities in the retail, hotel and broader accommodation sectors in Makkah. The long term prospects for the hotel sector are extremely positive given the reliance on accommodation providers to support the global unlimited demand of religious pilgrims to Makkah.

"More than ever, the key to capitalising on growth of the real estate market is the strong cooperation between public and private sectors to invest in new and existing accommodation. An added benefit is the maxim of 'build it and they will come' which applies more aptly to the Makkah market than any other city in the region.

"In addition to increasing accommodation, the success of the Saudi Government's plans to expand the number of religious visitors also relies heavily on the ability to address transportation capacity. While there have been significant investments to improve the networks serving Makkah, many of the projects have been affected by the stringent 2016 budget."

Although there is a great opportunity for Makkah's real estate sector to flourish from increasing the number of pilgrims, there is currently a restraint on the number of pilgrims due to a cap on the number of quotas for each country. This has had a negative impact on the performance of Makkah's hotels and pilgrim accommodation but the quotas are expected to be relaxed upon completion of major infrastructure improvements in 2017 and 2018.

Beyond the buoyant hotel and accommodation sector, Makkah's retail sector is also heavily dependent upon trade from religious pilgrims particularly during a period of weakening spending power amongst residents. Despite this, retail lease rates in the Markazia remain substantially higher than in other parts of the city.

The traditional residential sector continues to suffer from a shortage of affordable homes and poor quality infrastructure projects. Compared to other major cities in Saudi, the office sector remains a relatively minor market which is reflected in lease rates which are considerably lower when compared to Jeddah and Riyadh.

Sector summary highlights - MAKKAH

Hotel: Makkah is by far the largest hospitality market in Saudi, with around [27,000 quality rooms (compared to 11,000 in Riyadh and 9,400 in Jeddah). It is estimated that around 75% of the demand from pilgrims is accommodated in hotels (with the remaining 25% in other forms of accommodation). Around 60% of the current stock of hotel rooms are classified as 'budget accommodation' a much higher proportion than in other cities in Saudi.

The extreme seasonality of the market has meant that many hotels in Makkah have traditionally only operated during peak months. With the entry of more international operators, this pattern is now changing, with more hotels operating throughout the year.

Hotels in Makkah typically achieve 100% occupancy during the Hajj period and the Umrah high season. The highly seasonal nature of demand results in occupancies falling to just 30% - 40% during off peak seasons immediately after Ramadan and Hajj.

Pilgrim Accommodation: Although Makkah has a substantial number of hotel rooms, this supply is insufficient to accommodate all the demand from religious pilgrims. This has resulted in the creation of a unique sector of the market not seen in other major cities in the region. Pilgrim accommodation comprises rooms in hostels, and apartment buildings that are rented to pilgrims seeking lower cost accommodation than recognised hotels.

Residential: As with other major cities in Saudi, Makkah is facing an acute shortage of affordable housing. Particularly as the expansion of the Holy Mosque, the growing need for seasonal accommodation, and extreme land values, the Markazia has transitioned into an area almost exclusively servicing religious pilgrims with permanent residents being largely priced out of the central city. This trend is expected to continue with further redevelopment of the areas around the Holy Mosque, increasing land values still higher.

The expansion of the Makkah metro network and the construction of a number of mega projects in the outskirts of the City (especially along the Fourth Ring Road), will further enhance this trend for the Markazia area to become something of a 'city within a city' JLL estimates the number of residential units in Makkah is currently around 338,000.

Retail: Much of the quality retail space in Makkah is centred in the Markazia area and is targeted at pilgrims rather than permanent residents of the city. Spending is therefore extremely seasonal. Despite the current climate of weaker spending power in Saudi and the restrictions on pilgrim quotas, Hajj sales have resulted in some retailers in Makkah enjoying positive growth in sales ranging between 12% - 20% according to Euromonitor International.

Jabal Omar, Hilton Commercial Center and Abraj Al Beit achieve some of the highest lease rates in the region, if not the world, due to their proximity to the Holy Mosque. All of these malls benefit from high occupancy rates of between 90% and 100%.

Office: Unlike neighbouring Jeddah, which has a thriving port and a cosmopolitan business community, Makkah's office sector is relatively limited and largely focussed on businesses servicing Hajj and Umrah visitors.

Once the expansion of the Holy Mosque is complete and the capacity for pilgrims increases, demand for office space from travel advisories and licensed Umrah and Hajj service providers should increase, but this is not likely to support a large amount of additional office space.

Rentals in Makkah are relatively low compared to Riyadh and Jeddah, with only modest rental growth recorded in recent years. The injection of future supply is likely to ensure that any future increase is restricted to the better quality projects.

http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article92405.html

Haramain train only 10 km of tracks away from completion​

When it becomes fully operational, the train will transport 19,100 passengers an hour between Jeddah
and Makkah, 3,800 between Makkah and Madinah and 8,000 between Rabigh and Madinah.​

Dec 21, 2016

MAKKAH — Work on only 10 km of track has to be completed before the Haramain high-speed train will be ready for operation, according to the project’s supervisor Bassam Ghulam.

He said during a presentation at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday that work has to be completed on seven kilometers of track from the side of Al-Iskan neighborhood in Makkah and three in Jeddah’s Al-Harazat district.

During the first phase of its operation, which will continue for 12 years, the train is expected to transport about 1.2 billion passengers at the rate of 100 million every year, said Ghulam.

“At the outset of its operation, the train is expected to transport between 11,400-12,400 passengers an hour,” he said.

When it becomes fully operational, the train will transport 19,100 passengers an hour between Jeddah and Makkah, 3,800 between Makkah and Madinah and 8,000 between Rabigh and Madinah.

“The train will serve more than two million pilgrims every year,” he added.
“As many as 127 out of 138 bridges have been built and 845 crossings completed to drain rainwater,” said Ghulam.

The supervisor said the train will cover the distance between Jeddah and Makkah in less than 21 minutes, between Makkah and Rabigh in an hour and between Makkah and Madinah in two hours.

Due to safety measures, the maximum speed of the train per hour will not exceed 300 km.

Ghulam said the Jeddah part of the project was the most difficult because of the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway which is the most crowded.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-ara...ay-completion/

It will be operational by the end of 2017.

What the Kaaba’s interior looks like

Sunday, 4 December 2016

In an area that does not exceed 180 meters square, the Kaaba contains three wooden columns which hold the Kaaba's ceiling.

The wood used is one of the strongest types of wood and they were put by the prophet's companion Abdullah bin Zubair.

They are more than 1,350 years old and are dark brown. The perimeter of each column is around 150 centimeters while the diameter is 44 centimeters.

Each column has a squared wooden base. Between these three columns, there is a pillar from which the Kaaba's gifts are suspended. This pillar passes through all three columns and its sides extend to the northern and southern walls.

The presidency of the two holy mosques told Al-Arabiya that the Levantine corner on the right interior side of Kaaba includes an enclosed staircase that leads to a hatch, which resembles an enclosed rectangular structure without any windows and which has a door with a special lock leading to the ceiling. On the door, there is a beautiful silk curtain that has gold and silver engravings.

The presidency also said that the floor of Kaaba is made of marble. Most of the marble is white while some of it is colored. The walls of the Kaaba's interior are made of colorful and emblazoned marble. The Kaaba's interior is covered with a red silk curtain that has white-embroidered texts which includes some of God's names. This curtain also covers the Kaaba's ceiling.

Inside the Kaaba, there are eight stones decorated with Arabic calligraphy using Thuluth script and one stone decorated with Arabic calligraphy using Kufic script. The words on the stones are made of precious, colorful pieces of marble. These were written after the 6th century AH.

On the eastern wall and between the Kaaba's door and the Baabut Taubah (door of repentance), there is the document of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud engraved on a marble board to indicate the date of renovations which the late king made to the Kaaba structure. The number of stones written on inside the Kaaba is thus a total of 10, all made of white marble.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/fea...ooks-like.html

Makkah Heritage Exhibition

Hara Makkawiya festival showcases ancient heritage of Makkah and its people

 

[baqai]

got back yesterday and man what an experience it was, nothing on internet i read came close to experiencing it yourself, Makkah was so busy all the time that it wasn't even funny Madina on the other hand has to be the most peaceful place i have ever been in, i loved being there and cannot wait to visit again

 

[Khanate]

got back yesterday and man what an experience it was, nothing on internet i read came close to experiencing it yourself, Makkah was so busy all the time that it wasn't even funny Madina on the other hand has to be the most peaceful place i have ever been in, i loved being there and cannot wait to visit again

Mabrook.

What the Kaaba’s interior looks like

Sunday, 4 December 2016

In an area that does not exceed 180 meters square, the Kaaba contains three wooden columns which hold the Kaaba's ceiling.

The wood used is one of the strongest types of wood and they were put by the prophet's companion Abdullah bin Zubair.

They are more than 1,350 years old and are dark brown. The perimeter of each column is around 150 centimeters while the diameter is 44 centimeters.

Each column has a squared wooden base. Between these three columns, there is a pillar from which the Kaaba's gifts are suspended. This pillar passes through all three columns and its sides extend to the northern and southern walls.

The presidency of the two holy mosques told Al-Arabiya that the Levantine corner on the right interior side of Kaaba includes an enclosed staircase that leads to a hatch, which resembles an enclosed rectangular structure without any windows and which has a door with a special lock leading to the ceiling. On the door, there is a beautiful silk curtain that has gold and silver engravings.

The presidency also said that the floor of Kaaba is made of marble. Most of the marble is white while some of it is colored. The walls of the Kaaba's interior are made of colorful and emblazoned marble. The Kaaba's interior is covered with a red silk curtain that has white-embroidered texts which includes some of God's names. This curtain also covers the Kaaba's ceiling.

Inside the Kaaba, there are eight stones decorated with Arabic calligraphy using Thuluth script and one stone decorated with Arabic calligraphy using Kufic script. The words on the stones are made of precious, colorful pieces of marble. These were written after the 6th century AH.

On the eastern wall and between the Kaaba's door and the Baabut Taubah (door of repentance), there is the document of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud engraved on a marble board to indicate the date of renovations which the late king made to the Kaaba structure. The number of stones written on inside the Kaaba is thus a total of 10, all made of white marble.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/fea...ooks-like.html

Makkah Heritage Exhibition

Hara Makkawiya festival showcases ancient heritage of Makkah and its people

Jazak allahu khayran!

Thank you so much for posting this.

Never knew there was a 360° video of interior Ka'aba. This certainly made my day.

 

[baqai]

i will be writing a post on "A guide to Umrah for a person in middle of mid life crisis" :p it might offend few people but hey i plan to speak my heart out about my experiences there

 

[Saif al-Arab]

@baqai

Good to hear that you had a pleasant Umrah and that you enjoyed your stay despite the ongoing expansion work in both Makkah (especially) and Madinah.

Once all the infrastructural projects in Makkah and Madinah will be finished everything will be even better for everyone visiting and for the locals.

Masjid Aisha Alrajhi from the outside.

All from the holy city of Makkah in the blessed Hijaz.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Masjid al-Qiblatain in Madina - Saudi Arabia by Dawood Hassan, on Flickr

The newly renovated Imam Al-Shafi'i (ra) Mosque in Jeddah. Most of the foundation is 1000 years old however parts date 1400 years back to the time of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra).

 

[Saif al-Arab]

مسجد الميقات بالمدينة المنورة Meqat mousqe in Madinah by abofatma, on Flickr

إطلالة على الحرم النبوي الشريف by abofatma, on Flickr

Prophet's mosque by abofatma, on Flickr

Old meets new. The restoration and expansion is still ongoing both in Makkah and Madinah.


Speaking about Madinah, Madinah province is home to many lava fields and extinct as well as extant volcanoes. It is one of the most volcanic areas in the entire Arab world and Middle East.

Al Albida Volcano Kybar saudi Arabia by Dr. A. Alturaigy د.عبدالله الطريقي, on Flickr

Albida Volcano, Kybar, saudi Arabia by Dr. A. Alturaigy د.عبدالله الطريقي, on Flickr

Volcano Madina Saudi Arabia by Dr. A. Alturaigy د.عبدالله الطريقي, on Flickr

There are some 35-40 volcanoes in Hijaz alone.

This list below is incomplete but shows around 25 of them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Saudi_Arabia

The last volcanic eruption of note occurred some 200-150 years ago. At times volcanic eruptions (in ancient pre-Islamic and in Islamic times) threatened Makkah and Madinah and other cities in Hijaz.

For more information:

http://www.sgs.org.sa/English/Earthquakes/Pages/Volcanoes.aspx

http://www.sgs.org.sa/English/NaturalHazards/pages/volcanoes.aspx

http://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/200602/volcanic.arabia.htm

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0926/Ancient-volcanic-field-reawakens-in-Saudi-Arabia

All very interesting and detailed links/articles but the last two are the best.

Costume heritage of Al Madinah by abofatma, on Flickr

Jordanians with special needs to perform Umrah at Saudi Arabian king's expense​

28 December 2016

A group of people with special needs from Amman in Jordan headed to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to perform Umrah at Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz's expense and under the supervision of the Saudi embassy in Jordan.

Prince Khalid bin Faisal bin Turki, the Saudi ambassador in Jordan, said the Saudi embassy in Amman believes in the importance of helping people with special needs perform Umrah and it thus facilitated the pilgrimage.

The journey has been organized in cooperation with the Special Needs Child Care Charity Association in Irbid, Jordan, and the Medical Educational Center.

The Saudi embassy in Jordan said in a statement that there are facilities and services for those who visit the Kaaba in general as Saudi Arabia believes in the importance of serving the guests of God, adding that they fully look after people with special needs, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/New...s-expense.html

First batch of King’s Umrah guests to arrive tomorrow​

Jan 3, 2017

RIYADH — The first batch of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s guests will arrive in the Kingdom on Wednesday to perform Umrah at the King’s personal expense.

“As many as 220 men and women will be arriving in the Kingdom from 15 countries in Asia and Africa as King’s guests,” said Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance who is the supervisor of the program.

He said the guests will be prominent Islamic personalities who have rendered good services to Islam and Muslims.

The King every year invites a number of Muslims from various parts of the world to perform Umrah and Haj as his guests.

Al-Asheikh said the guests will be coming from Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Senegal, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The King also every year invites for Haj about 1,000 Palestinians who are families of the martyrs.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-ara...rive-tomorrow/

Haj quota cuts lifted
Haj quota to be restored​

Jan 6, 2017

SAUDI ARABIA has decided to lift from this year the reduction in the quota of Haj pilgrims imposed five years ago. It said the higher authorities approved a proposal by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior who is also chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, to restore the pilgrimage quota that existed prior to the cuts.

Minister of Haj and Umrah on Thursday thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad, and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman for lifting the reduction in the quota of both domestic and foreign pilgrims. He said that the concerned authorities have made preparations to receive the additional number of pilgrims for the forthcoming Haj. Bantan said this while receiving heads of Haj delegations from Arab and Islamic countries at his office in Jeddah.

The authorities imposed a 20 percent cut in the quota for foreign pilgrims coming from each country while the number of people allowed to perform Haj within the Kingdom was reduced by 50 percent to ensure the safety of pilgrims during the largest ever expansion in the history of the Grand Mosque, which is nearing completion, as well as the expansion of mataf (circumambulating area around the Holy Kaba) and massive projects at the Holy Sites.

Crown Prince Muhammad asked all concerned departments to get ready to receive a larger number of pilgrims for the upcoming Haj. He instructed to give the Haj missions opportunity to increase the number of pilgrims so as to restore the quota in a phased manner. The Crown Prince said that the exact number of pilgrims coming from each country will be decided by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah. However, he assured that the decided quota for every country will remain intact. Under the quota system that came into effect decades ago, a country is allowed to send only one Haj pilgrim for every 1,000 Muslim citizens.

A number of Haj missions in Jeddah congratulated the Saudi leadership for restoring the Haj quota. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Indian Consul General Mohammed Noor Rahman Sheikh welcomed the decision, saying that it is a great move. “The Indian Haj Committee could accommodate only one fourth of the applicants after the quota cut. “The reduced quota for pilgrims under the Haj Committee was 100,020 but the number of applicants exceeded 400,000 last year. A total of 136,020 Indian pilgrims performed Haj during the last five years after imposition of a cut in quota in 2012, and they included 100,020 under Haj Committee and 36,000 who come through private tour operators,” he said. India’s quota for Haj-2012 was 170,000, but later the year the government reduced the quota by 20 percent.

Sheikh also said that launching of mobile app for Haj in India will be a further boost in streamlining the Haj operation.

“The app will complement with the integrated mobile app launched by the Jeddah Haj mission,” he said.

The Indian Haj Mission was the first foreign mission in the Kingdom to come up with an innovative Global Positioning System (GPS) application during the Haj of 2014.

India’s Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched at India’s Haj House in Mumbai last Monday the mobile application which will provide information and facilitate e-payments for the pilgrimage.

“It is for the first time that Haj application process is going to be digital,” Naqvi said. Applying for Haj, enquiry and information, news and updates and e-payment are the main features of the app. The application can be made directly on the app. Five adults and two infants can apply as a group.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-ara...a-cuts-lifted/

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Thanks the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for His Approval to Increase Numbers of Pilgrims in Hajj Season 1438H​

Jeddah, Rabi'II 7, 1438, Jan 5, 2017, SPA -- Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh bin Tahir Benten, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, has expressed thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and the Deputy Crown Prince for approval to raise the capacity of pilgrims in this Hajj season 1438H and increase the numbers of pilgrims from inside and outside the Kingdom in accordance with the regulations.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Dr. Benten said that "the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, who is also Head of the Hajj Supreme Committee, stressed that raising number of pilgrims is gradually implemented."

This came during his meeting with the heads of Hajj delegations of the Arab and Islamic states.

http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory....newsid=1577836

Saudi King approves Hajj capacity increase​

Thursday, 5 January 2017

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz approved on Thursday a proposal to increase the capacity of Mecca to accept more pilgrims during the next Hajj seasons.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh bin Tahir Benten confirmed the news by expressing his thanks to King Salman, the Crown Prince and the Deputy Crown Prince for their approval to raise the capacity of pilgrims in the upcoming Hajj season and increase the numbers of pilgrims from inside and outside Saudi Arabia in accordance with the regulations.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Dr. Benten said that “the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, who is also Head of the Hajj Supreme Committee, stressed that raising number of pilgrims will be gradually implemented.”

This came during his meeting with the heads of Hajj delegations of several Arab and Islamic states.

In 2007, more than 1.7 million foreign and 746,511 domestic pilgrims performed Hajj, making a total of more than 2.4 million Hajj pilgrims.

However last year, 1,325,372 foreign and 537,537 domestic pilgrims performed Hajj, making a total of 1,862,909 pilgrims. This was the least number of pilgrims recorded in the last 10 years.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/New...-capacity.html

Riyadh move to increase Haj numbers welcomed ​

Saturday 7 January 2017

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s move to increase Haj quotas this year has been welcomed, after the number of pilgrims hit a 10-year low in 2016.

King Salman on Thursday approved a proposal to increase the number of pilgrims from inside and outside the Kingdom during this year’s season, which starts in late summer.

Mohammed Shahid Alam, consul of Haj and deputy consul general at the Indian Consulate in Jeddah, said restoring the quotas is good news for pilgrims.

Last year, around 136,000 Indian pilgrims came to perform Haj, down from 170,000 in 2012 after the government reduced the quota by 20 percent. The figure for this year is set to be declared after a ministerial meeting to be held later this month.

Sajid Yousfani, Pakistan’s director general for Haj, told Arab News that the news of restoring of quota is positive for the whole Muslim Ummah, or global community, and those waiting to perform Haj this year.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia imposed a 20 percent cut in the quota for foreign pilgrims, and a 50 percent cut for domestic pilgrims, to ensure safety during the expansion of the Grand Mosque.

The number of pilgrims will be gradually increased and restored to what it was five years ago, according to an official statement.

Meetings with heads of the Haj ministries across the world have been scheduled to discuss Haj 2017 preparations, and the number of pilgrims for this year from outside the Kingdom will be announced later.

Last year, 1,325,372 foreign and 537,537 domestic pilgrims performed Haj, making a total of 1,862,909 pilgrims. This was the lowest number of pilgrims recorded in the last 10 years.

More than 2.4 million Muslims performed the Haj pilgrimage in 2007, according to reports.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1035326/saudi-arabia

Warm welcome at Madinah airport for pilgrims

First batch of King’s guests arrives in Madinah
​

5 January 2017

MADINAH: The first pilgrims hosted this year by King Salman’s Program for Umrah and Visit arrived in Madinah on Wednesday.

The first batch of guests includes 185 pilgrims, and the second is scheduled to arrive on Thursday, completing the first group of 220.

The pilgrims are from 15 countries in Asia and Africa including Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Mali, Malaysia, Pakistan, India and Uzbekistan.

The program is implemented and supervised by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.

The program’s officials welcomed the guests at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah.

The guests paid tribute to King Salman for hosting them within this program to perform Umrah and stay for several days in Madinah.

They stressed that the program comes in the context of the venerable and good efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia and its leaders in serving Islam, providing support for Muslims, and creating ways that enable them to perform Haj and Umrah.

They hailed the importance of this program in achieving continuous communication with Muslims around the world.

Abdullah bin Mudlij Al-Medlej, executive director of the Program for Umrah and Visit, welcomed the guests.

“An itenary was designed for the guests in Madinah and Makkah to acquaint them with the Kingdom’s care of the Two Holy Mosques and serving the Holy Qur’an,” Al-Medlej said in a statement.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1034251/saudi-arabia

Research groups join talks on Haj strategy
​

5 January 2017

JEDDAH: Crowd management at the Grand Mosque was the focus of a recent discussion at The Haj Research Institute of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Umm Al-Qura University.
Hamza Ghulman, the university’s dean, said that the meeting strengthened the relationship between research institutions and agencies working in the field of crowd management at the Grand Mosque and surrounding areas.

The participants discussed ways of developing mechanisms to control the movement of crowds and providing better services to guests during their stay in Saudi Arabia.
Ghulman said that several proposals, derived from observations made during the past Umrah and Haj seasons, were explored at the meeting.

Operational strategies to manage the flow of pilgrims in key areas were also activated, he said. The strategies focused on the safety of pilgrims’ on the roads leading to the Grand Mosque, inside the mosque, at entrances and gates.

Modern techniques in crowd management and ways of boosting coordination between teams on the field were also discussed the meeting, said the dean.
He called for effective cooperation between relevant authorities in enabling the research teams to monitor and analyze the crowd movement inside and outside the Grand Mosque and at the holy sites.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1034261/saudi-arabia

 

[Saif al-Arab]

@baqai please share your experiences if you see this and find the required time.

Thanks.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Bani Waqif Fort, a historic Madinah landmark, playing host to vandals and stray animals

Jan 14, 2017

THE Bani Waqif Fort located 500 meters southeast of Quba Mosque is one of the historic landmarks in Madinah. It’s just four kilometers away from the Prophet’s Mosque and could be developed into a park and a tourist site.

But the authorities have given little care to this fort and parts of the fort have been damaged as some wicked people turned it into a dump to throw construction waste. It has also become a meeting point for stray animals and a breeding ground of mosquitoes.

Residents of Quba district of Madinah have accused the authorities of negligence toward the historic fort where the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had once prayed.

“The fort does not have a proper access road nor any signboard for people to locate the place,” said Nasser Al-Ahmadi, who urged the authorities to take immediate measures to rehabilitate the structure.

“The authorities are aware that it’s one of the oldest forts in the region, but so far they have not made any effort to preserve it,” Al-Ahmadi told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

He urged the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) and Madinah Municipality to initiate efforts for its renovation, maintenance and protection.

Khaled Bin Saeed expressed his anguish over the authorities’ continued negligence toward the fort, saying it has become a playing ground for stray animals and a waste dump. He urged the authorities to construct a paved road to the fort and place a sign.

Researcher Mohammed Ghali Al-Tarjumi said Bani Waqif belonged to the famous Aus tribe, which provided all assistance when the Prophet migrated to Madinah.

“The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had prayed in their fort, which is located south of the Quba Mosque,” Al-Tarjumi told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

The fort is located between houses and farms in Asba district. “It underwent renovation during the time of the Ottomans, who used it as a military garrison,” he said.

Al-Tarjumi said a number of historians have mentioned the fort in their works, including Al-Abbasi and Al-Samhoudi. “At present the fort is neglected and illiterate people have been causing harm to the fort over the past years exploiting the absence of monitoring,” he explained.

He said some people were throwing construction waste in the fort.

“There are several forts in Madinah. Bani Waqif Fort has one of the best and beautiful parks in the region with enchanting date palms and other trees. Standing on this fort, visitors can watch the famous Eir mountain in Madinah,” he added.

Meanwhile, the head of the department of public relations and information at SCTH said the organization has registered Bani Waqif Fort as one of the national heritage sites.

“We intend to preserve this place with the support of an expert team as part of SCTH’s efforts to preserve and develop all Islamic heritage sites in the Madinah region,” he said in a statement.

He said the commission has set out an integrated plan to preserve and develop heritage sites in Madinah in coordination with its partners. “We have taken all measures to protect Bani Waqif Fort and other historical sites in Madinah in accordance with existing regulations,” he added.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-ara...stray-animals/

​

Should be restored as soon as possible.

​

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Close to 1.5m Umrah pilgrims in Madinah

Jan 17, 2017

MADINAH — As many as 1,444,765 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom since the start of the Umrah season early November, local daily Al-Watan reported on Monday quoting the branch of the Haj and Umrah Ministry in Madinah.

The ministry said that a total of 1,350,559 pilgrims arrived by air while 90,285 by land and 3,921 by sea.

According to the ministry, Pakistanis constitute about 30.61 percent of the pilgrims who are visiting Madinah followed by Indonesians (17.91 percent), Indians (11.81 percent) and Malaysians (8.21 percent).

Undersecretary of the ministry Mohammed Abdul Rahman Al-Bijawi said since the start of the season the ministry has been making intensive tours of government and private establishments offering Haj services to make sure that pilgrims are properly served.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-ara...grims-madinah/

@The SC please take a look at this thread brother if you have not seen it yet. It might interest you, I believe.

 

[The SC]

NASA says about Kaaba

NASA says about Kaaba ->

Kaaba, God's house a million miss visiting the Muslim Ummah and a guest - guest of God the supreme creator. Kiblatnya (direction) to perform their prayers in the Muslim ummah, from any country all worship pray facing this direction.

Glossary Kaaba is the language of al Quran of the word "ka'bu" which means "ankle" or place of leg spin move for move. Al-Quran verses 5/6dalam define the term dg "Ka'bain" which means "two eyes legs' and Paragraph 5/95-96 contain the term 'temple' which means a real "eye of the earth" or "the axis of the earth" or the north pole of the earth rotation.

Neil Armstrong has proven that the city of Mecca is the center of the planet Earth. This fact has been examined through a scientific study.

When Neil Armstrong for the first time to travel into space and take pictures of the planet Earth, he said, "Planet Earth was hanging in a very dark area, who hung it?."

The astronauts have discovered that the planet Earth, it issued a kind of radiation, they officially announce it on the Internet, but unfortunately it 21 days later the website there seems to be missing a hidden reason behind the elimination of the website.

After doing further research, it turns out radiation was centered in the city of Mecca, precisely derived from the Kaaba. What is surprising is that radiation is infinite (not endless ), This is proven when they take pictures of Mars, the radiation is still ongoing.

Muslim Researchers believe that this radiation has the characteristics and connections between the Kaaba on the planet Earth with the Kaaba in the netherworld.


MECCA CENTER OF THE EARTH :

Prof. Hussain Kamel discovered a surprising fact that Mecca is the center of the earth. At first he was researching a way to determine the direction of Qibla in the big cities in the world.

For this purpose, he drew lines on maps, and after that he studied carefully the position of the seven continents of Makkah and distance respectively. He began to draw parallel lines just to facilitate the projection of longitude and latitude.

After two years of hard work and heavy, he was aided by computer programs to determine the correct distances and different variations, as well as many other things. He was impressed with what was found, that Mecca is the center of the earth.

He realized the possibility of drawing a circle with Mecca as its center point, and the line outside the circle that is continent-benuanya. And at the same time, he moves along with the outer circumference of the continent-continent. (Al-Arabiyyah Magazine, issue 237, August 1978).

Satellite Pictures, which appeared later in the 90's, emphasized the same results when the studies further lead to the layers of Earth's topography and geography of the land when it was created.

Has become an established scientific theory that the earth plates are formed during the long geological ages, moving regularly around the Arabian plate. These plates constantly converge towards it as if pointing to Mecca.

Scientific studies was carried out for different purposes, not meant to prove that Mecca is the center of the earth. However, the study published in many scientific magazines in the West.


ALLAH SAYS IN THE QUR'AN AL-KARIM AS FOLLOWS :

'Thus We have revealed to the Holy Qur'an in Arabic that ye may give warning to the Umm Al-Qura (Mecca residents) and population (countries) around it .. ' (Ash-Shura: 7)

The word 'Umm Al-Qura' means the host for other cities, and towns around it shows Makkah is the center for other cities, and the other is just being around him. More than that, said Umm (mother) has significance in Islamic culture.

As a mother is the source of the seed, then Mecca is also the source of all other lands, as described at the beginning of this study. In addition, the word 'mother' gave Makkah superiority over all other cities.


MECCA OR GREENWICH

Based on careful considerations that Mecca was the center of the earth as is corroborated by studies and geological images produced satellites, it truly believed that the Holy City of Mecca, not Greenwich, should be a reference world time. This will end the long controversy that began four decades ago.

There are many arguments scientifically to prove that Mecca is a square zero region through the holy city, and he was not through Greenwich in England. GMT imposed on the world when the majority of the country in the world under the British colony. If the Mecca that is applied, it is easy for everyone to find time to pray.


MAKKAH IS THE CENTER OF THE LAYERS OF HEAVEN

There are a few verses and Hadith Nabawi that imply this fact. Allah says, 'Hi class of jinn and men, if you are able to penetrate the (crossing) over the heavens and the earth, then lintasilah, you can not penetrate it but with strength. " (Ar-Rahman: 33)

Aqthar word is the plural of the word 'qutr' which means the diameter, and he refers to the heavens and the earth that have a lot of the diameter.

From this verse and of some hadith can be understood that the diameter of the layers of the sky above the earth's diameter (seven plates of the earth). If Mecca was in the midst of the earth, then it means that Mecca is also located in the middle layers of the sky.

In addition there are hadith which says that the Grand Mosque in Mecca, where the Kaaba is that there is in the midst of the seven heavens and seven layers earth (meaning seven layers forming the earth).

The Prophet said, 'O people of Mecca, O people of Quraish, in fact you are under the middle of the sky.

Detailed Video Link ::

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=254834511363509

Also watch this:

 

[Sargon of Akkad]

KSA has potential to become the No. 1 tourist destination

Feb 12, 2017

JEDDAH — Experts have cited five main reasons for the decline of the Kingdom’s tourism sector compared to neighboring countries. Dubai registered five percent growth in tourism in 2016 compared to the previous year, attracting 14.9 million tourists including 1.6 million Saudis.

The five reasons are global economic depression, lack of a specialized fund, absence of an integrated move to solve problems, lack of substantial progress in air, land and marine transport and absence of economic studies that would encourage foreign investors to enter the Saudi market.

Dr. Hashim Al-Namir, tourism expert, emphasized the need for integrated efforts of relevant agencies to develop the Kingdom’s tourism industry and attract more tourists and investment in the sector.

“We need three important factors — good food, a variety of recreational and entertainment programs and services, and tourist accommodation facilities,” he said while highlighting the Kingdom’s huge tourism potentials.

“If we exploit these potentials properly the result would be amazing and Saudi Arabia will become No. 1 tourist destination in the region,” Al-Namir told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Al-Namir spoke about importance of issuing tourist visas to boost the sector as well as the need to strengthen the quality of tourism with the support of sponsors.

Saudi Arabia’s geographical features such as desert, mountains and coastal areas can woo a large number of tourists to the country. “We have long coasts in the east and west and these areas could be developed for various tourism purposes,” he said.

He also referred to the marvelous heritage sites that are recognized by UNESCO.

He said Saudi missions abroad could promote tourist sites and attractions in the Kingdom. “The millions of pilgrims who come for Haj and Umrah should be allowed to visit the Kingdom’s tourism sites. We should offer special tourism packages to Haj and Umrah pilgrims,” he explained.

“Pilgrims will be interested to visit tourist sites close to Makkah and Madinah if we develop them properly and inform pilgrims about these sites including historical places,” he added.

Abdul Ghani Al-Ansari, another expert, said total occupancy rate of hotels and furnished apartments in Makkah and Madinah reached 70 percent as a result of an increase in the number of pilgrims.

“This is a significant achievement in the back drop of global economic downturn, which has hit several Muslim countries,” Al-Ansari told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

School vacation has increased hotel occupancy but lack of purchasing power has brought down prices, Al-Ansari said. “As a result the revenue of most companies fell 30 percent in 2016 and this was quite natural,” he added.

Al-Ansari, owner of an economic studies office, stressed the importance of promoting attractive tourism programs and packages to woo tourists to the Kingdom, adding that airlines should take initiative for this tourism campaign. The cost would not exceed $1000 for tourists if they come during the middle of the week such as Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

Al-Ansari, who was chairman of the tourism committee at Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also stressed the need to establish more tourism companies, prepare maps of every Saudi city focusing on its tourism and entertainment centers.

“The government should also support tourism societies across the Kingdom and develop new tourism products including rural tourism,” he explained.

Meanwhile a report issued by Dubai showed that the emirate’s tourism sector registered eight percent growth in the last four years, contributing substantially to the gross domestic product.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-ara...t-destination/

Madinah inaugurates activities as capital of Islamic tourism

Monday 20 February 2017

MADINAH: Prince Sultan bin Salman, chief of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), sponsored on Saturday the opening ceremony for “Madinah Capital of Islamic tourism 2017.”

Prince Sultan stressed that the choice of Madinah for this title reflects the status of the city of Madinah for Muslims in regard to its religious and historical value as it is home to the Prophet’s Mosque, Quba Mosque and many historic monuments associated with the Prophet.

“It also contains important tourist attractions and heritage sites including historical museums and palaces and archaeological sites and historical mosques associated with events of the biography and followers,” Prince Sultan said.

He said in a recorded televised speech aired at the ceremony: “It is my great pleasure and honor to participate in the ceremony of ‘Madinah Capital of Islamic tourism’ as it has big significance in the hearts of all Muslims.”

He pointed out that Madinah is one of the main tracks of “Kingdom is Muslims’ Destination” initiative and that cost of the initiatives for this year reached SR2.67 billion.

Wahib Al-Sahli, deputy governor of Madinah and chairman of the Executive Committee, said that this occasion comes as a result of efforts exerted by loyal men who follow and supervise all different details and procedures.

Sahli said in a speech: “Today, Madinah wins for being the capital of the Islamic tourism under the wise leadership, and attention and care provided for the city by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.”

Ambassador Hameed Opeloyeru, OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, told Arab News that the program “is a beautiful occasion and Madinah deserves this award from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and we are proud of this celebration. The organizing and arrangement are more wonderful.”

Ambassador Maher Al-Karaki, Palestinian representative OIC, said the celebration of Madinah’s Islamic historical significance is due to the importance of the status of the city of Madinah in the hearts of Muslims.

“We congratulate the Saudi people and congratulate Prince Sultan bin Salman, head of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and Prince Faisal bin Salman, the governor of Madinah, on the occasion,” Al-Karaki told Arab News.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1056681/saudi-arabia

 

[Sargon of Akkad]

Over 24,000 Yemenis to perform Haj this year

​

Feb 27, 2017

MAKKAH — As many as 24,000 Yemenis will perform Haj this year, according to Yemeni Minister of Endowments and Religious Guidance Ahmed Attiyah.

Speaking after signing the Haj protocol on Saturday, Attiyah said electronic Haj visas for his countrymen would be ready by Ramadan.

The minister met with acting chairman of the board of directors of the Tawafa Establishment for the Arab Pilgrims Mohammed Maajeeni and other board members.

He said the mistakes committed last year by the Yemeni Haj Affairs office were discussed with a view to avoiding them this year.

“Most of the mistakes were caused by the Houthis obstructing the Haj caravans and preventing a number of Yemenis from coming to the pilgrimage,” he said.

Attiyah said his ministry subjects the pilgrims to rigorous Haj awareness programs before they come to Saudi Arabia.

“We also enlighten them about the Kingdom›s rules and regulations so as not to commit any violations,” he added.

The minister said the awareness campaigns are given at the mosques after Friday prayers and through the government's satellite TV channels.

Maajeeni, on his part, said the meeting discussed issues pertaining to the services being provided to the Yemeni pilgrims, including reception, transport, accommodation, sustenance, religious enlightenment at their accommodations, among others.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-ara...form-haj-year/

Prince Faisal inaugurates Quba road project

Thursday 23 February 2017

MADINAH: Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman has inaugurated the first phase of the development of the Quba road project.

The preliminary project for the road, which is considered the connection linking the Prophet’s Mosque and Quba Mosque, includes improving the infrastructure of the road to mimic the old architectural heritage of the city of Madinah.

It also will add aesthetic touches that keep pace with the modern architectural style, and allocate public squares to create events and other sites for families.

The governor said the project aims to develop and improve critical locations in Madinah, and create attractive tourist destinations and environmentally friendly sites.

The project “is part of a series of development projects that are being implemented by the Madinah Development Authority to highlight sites associated with the inhabitants of and visitors to the city,” he added.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1058511/saudi-arabia
arabic http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewstory.php?...newsid=1594863

Quba Mosque, Madinah

‏

Miqat Mosque Expansion Project, Madinah

Expansion of Miqat Mosque increases the total area by a ratio of 5

Miqat Mosque Now

Makkah transportation project on schedule

King Abdulaziz Road to facilitate pilgrim movement ​

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal chairs a meeting of the Makkah Development Authority.​

Feb 27, 2017

MAKKAH —Emir of Makkah Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has followed up with King Abdulaziz Road Project, which is aimed to facilitate transportation for pilgrims and visitors to the holy city.

A source said the emir looked into the latest updates on the project and the progress of work.

“This project is a very important one and will be one of the city’s latest developmental projects. Once the project is complete, it will facilitate the movement of pilgrims and visitors to the city,” said the source.

The source also said the companies responsible for the project reassured that the timeline is followed accurately and there will be no delays in executing the project.

The project, which is currently in its planning stage, is scheduled to be completed by 2019. The companies executing the project are preparing detailed plans, the source added.

The companies are also involved in preparing the designs for the tunnels of Makkah Metro, another major development project in the city, said the source.

He said a 60-meter wide pedestrian walkway will also be built as part of the project.

The Makkah Development Authority is supervising all development projects in the city. “The authority will renovate the northern and southern roads of the city and build new bridges. The authority will also build new parking lots and bus stations,” said the source.

The source said the metro tunnel will be 7.2 kilometers long and will have three stations.

“The companies working on King Abdulaziz Project will ensure that all related projects are also on schedule to avoid any delays,” said the source.

The source said King Abdualziz Road will run parallel to Umm Al-Qura Road and will pass through five random districts of the city.

“The road will pass through Al-Rusaifa, Al-Tandabawi, Al-Zuharain, Al-Hindawiyah and Jabal Ghurab districts. A total of 3,626 real estate properties were demolished to construct the road,” said the source.

He said several top class hotels and mosques would be built along the road to extend high quality services to the pilgrims and visitors.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-ara...ject-schedule/

Nice photo taken from a rare angle.


Sacred Mosque by Maher Najm, on Flickr

 

[Sargon of Akkad]

Sudais on pulpit of Prophet’s Mosque

Sheikh Abdurahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, delivers Friday sermon at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Mar 4, 2017

Sheikh Abdurahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, delivered the Friday sermon at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah this week.

This was the first time Sheikh Al-Sudais delivered the Friday sermon from the pulpit of the Prophet’s Mosque.

Since his appointment as the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah 33 years ago, he occasionally led regular prayers and offered monthly religious lessons at the Madinah mosque.

Earlier attending a function in Madinah on Wednesday, Al-Sudais said the Haramain satellite channel, under the consideration of the Ministry of Culture and Information, would go on air soon.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-ara...ophets-mosque/
arabic: http://www.gph.gov.sa/ar-sa/Pages/ne...aspx?nID=19572