"Makkah and Madinah News and Updates"

[al-Hasani]

Madinah Governor inaugurates project of Dar Al-Hijrah Company

Project to serve visitors of the Prophet's Mosque can accommodate more than 120,000 guests​

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Madinah, Ramadan 26, 1435, July 23, 2014, SPA

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Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Madinah Region and Chairman of Madinah Development Commission, inaugurated here yesterday evening the project of Dar Al-Hijrah Company owned by Public Investment Fund of Ministry of Finance, in the presence of Minister of Finance Dr. Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf and Minister of Hajj Dr. Bandar bin Mohammed Hajjar.

The Ministry of Finance said in a press statement that this giant project is one of wide ranges of proposed projects for the development of Madinah and a compensation for the facilities removed from their location after entering in the project of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for the grand expansion of the Prophet's Mosque and its precincts aiming to serve visitors of the Prophet's Mosque after performing Hajj and Umrah rituals.

The project is located on an area of one million six hundred thousand square meters, three kilometers southwest of the Prophet's Mosque, about 3 kilometers from Miqat, and 900 meters from Quba Mosque.

The project includes about one hundred administrative and residential towers that can accommodate more than 120,000 guests distributed to 40,000 rooms of grade four and five-stars.

Each hotel has a wide reception lounge, waiting halls, restaurants, cafes and business centers.

The project also includes a building of Ministry of Hajj and Central Hajj Committee in Madinah; administrative offices of Hajj missions; Guides National Foundation; Tawafah (Circumambulation) Foundation; Motor General Syndicate; Travel and Tourism Agency, and medical missions.

The offices can accommodate 31,000 employees.

For his part, the Minister of Finance and Chairman of Board of Directors of Public Investment Fund, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his approval of the project of Dar Al-Hijrah Company, also expressing his pride of the approval that Public Investment Fund implements the project.

He described in a press statement the project as unique in many ways, saying, "The project is the largest one to be implemented by the Public Investment Fund in Madinah. It is unique as it serves pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors and unique in its design and time".

Minister Al-Assaf pointed out that this project will serve visitors of Madinah and citizens as a private sector and it will be ready within two years, noting the construction of a hospital that can accommodate 400 beds to serve the project and surrounding area

For his part, the Minister of Hajj Dr. Bandar Hajjar praised the Government of the Kingdom under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Deputy Crown Prince for its blessed role in the service of the Two Holy Mosques and care for pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors.

The Minister said in a press statement, "Allah Almighty bestowed upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the grand blessing and honor in the service of pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors who come from all over the world to perform their rituals''.

He praised Allah Almighty that the Kingdom's leadership has given top priorities to the reconstruction of the Two Holy Mosques, care for their visitors, and the provision of all means of security and prosperity for pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors so that they can perform their rituals easily and comfortably.

The Minister of Hajj said that these projects are unprecedented in terms of area, quality and speed of implementation, including this giant project assigned for receiving and bidding farewell to pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors to Madinah.

http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/print.php?id=1256474
http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/print.php?id=1256484
http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/print.php?id=1256498

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King Abdullah City for Pilgrims

Massive housing project launched in Madinah

HOUSING BONANZA: Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman presses a button
to launch the Dar Al-Hijrah real estate project in the city on Tuesday.​

Thursday 24 July 2014

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Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman launched a massive real estate project here Tuesday, which is estimated to cost SR55 billion.

The project, comprising 100 residential towers with four-star to five-star hotels, will accommodate more than 120,000 people. The state-owned Public Investment Fund is financing the project.

Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar and other senior government officials attended the launching ceremony. The project will create an additional 40,000 rooms near the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to meet the needs of visitors.

The building will also house the Haj Ministry’s branch office in Madinah, the office of the Higher Haj Committee, other related Haj agencies, office of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and offices of the Tawafa organizations for pilgrims from different countries.

The Ministry of Finance revealed that the project, named Dar Al-Hijrah, is being built on an area covering 1.6 million square meters, adding that it would take two years to complete. Of the 100 towers, 20 will be used for administrative purposes and 80 for residential purpose. Each building would have 30 floors.

According to the ministry, the project will also include 76 four-star hotels and six five-star hotels offering rooms for 40,000 people. The government offices are designed to accommodate 31,000 employees.

The project will also house a 400-bed hospital. A railway station would also be built to transport up to 84,000 pilgrims daily to and from the Prophet’s Mosque on lines elevated above the streets and bus station.

Project in 3 phases​

The project would be implemented over three phases, the ministry said.

The first phase would include the foundation building process.
The second phase would see the building of offices for the Ministry of Haj, which would open before the next Haj season.
The third phase involves the construction of residential buildings, which would open after next year's Haj season.

The project site has already been handed over to contractors.

The project is part of projects ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to expand and upgrade the Prophet's Mosque and surrounding areas.

Massive housing project launched in Madinah | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

 

[al-Hasani]

The melodious nature of the Madinah adhan

From top left: Abdulrahman Abdul Elah Khashoggi, Kamil Saleh Al-Najdi, Essam
Hussain Bukhari, Omar Yousif Kamal, Iyad Ahmad Shokri, Ashraf Muhammad Al-Afifi,
Faisal Al-Nu’man, Sami Muhammad Dayooli, Muhammad Majid Al-Hakeem,
Saud Abdulaziz Bukhari, Abdulmajeed Slamah Al-Suraihi and Omar Nabeel Sunbul​

Last updated: Thursday, July 24, 2014 11:33 PM

Saudi Gazette report

The adhan or call to prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque has always been known for its unique melody and is closely linked to the method in which adhan is raised all over the world. Among the most prominent characteristics and attributes of Madinah adhan, which provides the listener with a sense of spirituality and tranquility, is the pitch and rhythm in which muezzins effortlessly raise the call to prayer, Makkah Daily reported.

The first adhan in the Prophet’s Mosque was raised by Bilal Bin Rabah, a freed slave. One of the current muezzins of the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Isam Bukhari, is considered a living mentor and foremost expert on this type of adhan.

A researcher of adhan, Mohammad Baksh, said the most distinguishing feature of Madinah adhan from that of Makkah is its sonorous tone.

Baksh explained that there are different melodies for Madinah adhan, which are used in calls for different prayers.

“Many muezzins have inherited the Madinah adhan from their fathers, who used to accompany them to the mosque ever since they were children to learn the adhan, and many have raised the adhan since the age of 15,” he said while naming families in Madinah whose members are known for their resonant voices, such as the Bukhari, Al-Hakeem, Al-Nu’man, Al-Najdi, Aldjouli, Al-Khashoggi and Al-Afifi families.

“While the role of some families has declined from the past, a number of young muezzins have emerged, such as Abdulmajeed Al-Suraihi, Omar Sunbul and Ashraf Al-Afifi who have adopted the same old school of adhan,” he said.

Baksh pointed out that the adhan in the Prophet’s Mosque used to be raised from five minarets until 1980 when the adhan was entrusted to one muezzin only. Due to the large number of available muezzins, each muezzin’s turn to raise the adhan in the Prophet’s Mosque comes only once in approximately every two weeks.

“The sheikh of muezzins, Abdulrahman Khashoggi, used to schedule the shifts of muezzins in such a way that three muezzins were always at hand during the prayers,” Baksh said.

The adhan used to be raised according to a sundial in the Prophet’s Mosque, which is not used anymore due to the availability of modern scientific means to recognize the times of adhans, he added.

The melodious nature of Madinah adhan | Kingdom | Saudi Gazette

Sheikh Ali Al-Hudhaifi: A life devoted to piety

Sheikh Ali Al-Hudhaifi​

Last updated: Monday, July 28, 2014 11:34 PM

MADINAH — Sheikh Ali Abdulrahman Al-Hudhaifi is one of the imams of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Al-Hudhaifi was born in the Al-Qarn Al-Mustaqeem village to the north of Makkah and grew up in a pious family. His father was an imam for the Saudi Army.

The young Hudhaifi learned the Qur'an from teachers in his village. He memorized several chapters of the Qur’an as a student and has rigorously studied the Shariah and its sciences.

He joined the private Salafiyah School in Baljurashi in 1961 and finished secondary school there. Then he joined the Scientific Institute in the same Province in 1963 and completed his high school education in 1968.

Al-Hudhaifi continued his undergraduate studies at the College of Shariah at Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, graduating in 1972, and was appointed an instructor at the Scientific Institute where he had studied.

He used to teach Islamic Sciences and Arabic besides being an imam and preacher at a mosque in Baljurashi. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1975 and subsequently a PhD from Al-Azhar University in Cairo.

He joined his alma mater, Imam Muhammad Bin Saud University, in 1977 where he taught Islamic sciences at the College of Shariah. He also taught undergraduate students the Islamic schools of thought and the recitation of the Qur’an at the College of the Holy Qur’an.

Al-Hudhaifi is considered one of the most distinguished Qur’an reciters in the Kingdom and across the Islamic World. He has many national and international recordings and certifications for his recitation from many notable sheikhs including Ahmad Abdulaziz Alziyat, Amer Alsaid Uthman, Abdulfattah Alqadi and Hammad Al-Ansari.

Alongside his academic career, Al-Hudhaifi was an imam at the Quba Mosque. He became an imam of the Prophet’s Mosque in 1979. Except for a brief interval in 1981-82 when he was appointed the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Al-Hudhaifi continued to lead prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque since then. He also serves as the head of the committee that reviews copies of the Qur’an printed in Madinah as well as a member of the supervisory committee for audio copies of the Qur’an and the higher committee in the King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex.

Sheikh Ali Al-Hudhaifi: A life devoted to piety | Kingdom | Saudi Gazette

Masjid nabawi_Madinah_123 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

Maghrib prayer time in Masjid Nabawi-2 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

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Masjid_Nabawi_Madinah_101 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr


022 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

Masjid_Nabawi_Madinah_panorama by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr


020 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

Madinah-Masjid Annabawi-2 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

madinah_masjid nabawi_00012 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

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MASHALLAH.

Beautiful imagery. I can not wait to go.

 

[al-Hasani]

The door of the Kaaba - largest gate of gold in the world (300 kg)

صحيفة عكاظ- رقم العدد17488- رقم الصفحة 16- يوم الاثنين 1435/09/16
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يظل باب الكعبة المشرفة من ملامح البيت العتيق والتي يشاهدها الزائر والمعتمر والحاج في المسجد الحرام، وهو نموذج رائع للفن الإسلامي في الزخرفة والخط العربي، والباب الحالي كلف صنعه 13 مليون ريال، وصنع من 300 كيلو جرام من الذهب عيار 99.9 % من الذهب ويعتبر أكبر كتلة ذهبية في العالم، وقد استغرقت صناعته عاما كاملا بدأ صنعه عام 1398هـ بقرار من الملك خالد بن عبدالعزيز، يرحمه الله، وشارك في تصميم الزخارف عدد من الخبراء وخلال ثلاثة أشهر قدموا الأفكار الأساسية والدراسات الخاصة المعتمدة على طراز فن المعمار الإسلامي في زخرفة الباب، مع المحافظة على الشكل المعهود للباب ونقش الآيات الكريمة على الذهب، مع إضافة زخارف في الزوايا العلوية تحيط بها الآيات القرآنية المكتوبة، كما أضيفت في الزاويتين العلويتين زخارف متميزة لإبرازها بشكل قوس يحيط بلفظ الجلالة «الله جل جلاله»، واسم الرسول محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، والآيات الكريمة بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (ادخلوها بسلام آمنين) و (جعل الله الكعبة البيت الحرام قياما للناس والشهر الحرام) و (رب أدخلني مدخل صدق وأخرجني مخرج صدق واجعل لي من لدنك سلطانا نصيرا) و (كتب ربكم على نفسه الرحمة) و (وقال ربكم ادعوني أستجب لكم)، ويلي ذلك دائرتان على شكل الشمس كتب في وسطهما (لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله) بخط بارز، وقد ثبتت على سطح الدائرتين العلويتين حلقتا الباب اللتان تظهران مع القفل في شكل متناسق جميل، وبين الحلقتين والقفل توجد مساحة مناسبة لغرض الفصل بين أنواع الزخارف، وكتب تحت الدائرتين العلويتين الآية الكريمة (قل يا عبادي الذين أسرفوا على أنفسهم لا تقنطوا من رحمة الله إن الله يغفر الذنوب جميعا إنه هو الغفور الرحيم)، أما الدائرتان اللتان تحت القفل فقد كتب وسطهما سورة الفاتحة بخط بارز، وتحتهما كتب بخط صغير العبارات التالية : وقد كتب في الجهة اليمنى من الباب «تشرف بافتتاحه بعون الله تعالى الملك خالد بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود في الثاني والعشرين من شهر ذي القعدة سنة 1399هـ».

أما عضادتا الباب فقد زينتا بدوائر بارزة كتب في دوائر العضادة اليمنى عبارات: (يا عالم يا عليم يا حليم يا عظيم يا حكيم يا رحيم) وفي دوائر العضادة اليسرى كتب العبارات التالية: (يا غني يا مغني يا حميد يا مجيد يا مستعان)، وعلى ساكف الباب كتبت العبارات التالية: (يا واسع يا مانع يا نافع) وهذه الدوائر من الذهب الخالص المنقوش، وهي مثبتة على قاعدة من خشب التيك سمكها عشرة سنتيمترات بمادة لاصقة تضمن استمرار التصاق الدوائر الذهبية بالخشب، ويزيد ارتفاع هيكل الباب على ثلاثة أمتار، في عرض يقارب المترين بعمق يقارب نصف المتر، وتم تفصيل الهيكل وتجهيزه بواسطة فنيين مختصين حرصوا على أن يكون هيكل الباب قادرا على تحمل الحرارة الشديدة والأمطار وركبت في أسفل الباب عارضة لمنع المطر من الدخول إلى الكعبة المشرفة، وقد قام بصياغة هذا الباب المرحوم أحمد بن إبراهيم بدر، ابن شيخ الصاغة بمكة المتوفى عام 2009م.

الرئاسة العامة لشؤون المسجد الحرام والمسجد النبوي - باب الكعبة المشرفة أكبر كتلة ذهبية في العالم
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[al-Hasani]

Bridge near KAIA to be removed in 2 months

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JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS

Published — Friday 1 August 2014

Last update 1 August 2014 12:56 am

The bridge near King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) will be removed within two months to make way for new railway tracks under the Haramain High Speed Rail Project.
“The tracks will pass through several intersections along the Haramain and Nuzha roads,” said Bassam Ghulman, project director.
“Intersections are slated for completion within the two-month timeframe with the exception of the King Abdullah intersection, which will be complete by the end of the year,” he said. “The bridge leading to KAIA shall be removed to facilitate construction work taking place in the surrounding area.”
“The bridge must be removed in this time to keep apace of the railway schedule,” said Ghulman. “A new replacement bridge, which will be built with different standards and descriptions, will also be completed at the end of this year,” he said.
“The Haramain track between Rabigh and Madinah, meanwhile, will run by the end of next year,” he said. The railway, which spans 450 km, is being developed under the guidance of the Ministry of Transport upon directives issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. Work is ongoing at several intersections, including King Abdullah Street, Palestine Street, Tahlia Street and Airport Road in Jeddah.
The project includes the construction of four main stations in Madinah, King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, Jeddah and Makkah.
Each station will include a main building, an arrival and departure halls, a mosque, a Civil Defense center, helipads, passenger waiting areas, short and long-term car parking slots, VIP halls, shops, restaurants and cafes.

Bridge near KAIA to be removed in 2 months | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

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Umrah season sees more visitors despite reduced visa numbers

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JEDDAH: IRFAN MOHAMMED

Published — Friday 1 August 2014

Last update 1 August 2014 12:33 am

Although Umrah pilgrim quotas for various countries remain reduced this year, including in Ramadan, the flow of visitors to Makkah remained high. The holy city witnessed an increased number of pilgrims from within the Kingdom during the fasting month.
The Ministry of Haj has said that over 6 million Umrah pilgrims visited the Kingdom during the just concluded Umrah season and, according to the traffic police, over 20 million visitors visited the holy city in the month of Ramadan alone.“The Ministry of Haj issued 6,048,373 visas during this year’s Umrah season, with the successful rate of returning pilgrims,” a senior official from the ministry told Arab News. In fact, he added, the successful rate of returning pilgrims has been confirmed with the effective electronic monitoring. “Shortly, we will release the details,” he added.
“We have successfully managed the entry and movement of 20 million passengers till the 27th of Ramadan into the holy city of Makkah.” said Ali Al-Zahrani of traffic police in Makkah. He added that more than a million cars were parked during the holy month in designated parking slots in Makkah.He said that traffic police executed its plan successfully to avoid vehicular congestion inside the holy city in general and the Grand Mosque area in particular. This is substantiated by the lowest number of traffic accidents also violations.
Al-Zahrani added that the smooth traffic movement was facilitated in the central Makkah region enabling pedestrians to visit the Grand Mosque by preventing the vehicular movement into the area.
“Adequate public transport buses were provided from parking slots to the Grand Mosque; approximately 1,255 public buses were used to fetch pilgrims during Ramadan from parking slots to the Grand Mosque,” he added.
The cleaning and hygienic maintenance of the city also was a challenging job in the city due to the increase of pilgrims.
The Makkah municipality received an average of 2,555 tons of waste mainly from the Haram and central Makkah region each day of the month of Ramadan, according to its officials. It received about 73,202 tons of waste during the holy month, excluding Eid Holidays, said an official statement of Makkah Municipality.
It also deployed over 8,500 exclusive cleaners during Ramadan in the city.
The Presidency of Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque Affairs announced that Umrah 2014 plan has proven successful. Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the presidency, said it received and served the guests of Allah in Makkah and Madinah, and attributed the success of the Umrah season to Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s vision and direction.

Umrah season sees more visitors despite reduced visa numbers | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

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All the photos of Makkah and Al-Masjid Al-Haram are recent.

 

[al-Hasani]

Makkah hotel room rates break records

Hotels situated nearby haram Makkah.​

RIYADH: ARAB NEWS
Published — Monday 28 July 2014

Last update 28 July 2014 12:13 am

Several tourism and commercial firms are taking advantage of high demand by leasing hotel rooms with views overlooking the Grand Mosque for up to SR70,000 (or in some cases, SR100,000) a night, operators in the hospitality sector recently revealed.
“These firms act as brokers by sub-leasing accommodation units to pilgrims and Umrah firms at extortionate and off-the-radar prices,” said Mansour Abu Rayash, head of the real estate committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).
“They are taking advantage of the fact that there are a limited number of rooms to compensate for low seasons at other times of the year and to cover yearlong operational expenses.”
“Pilgrims are conned into paying anywhere between SR30,000 and SR70,000 a night,” he said.
“No matter how you look at it, Makkah is the most expensive city for purchasing land and leasing out property during peak seasons. In Dubai, the cost of a hotel room can reach SR15,000 for the same level of accommodation and services.”
“Unfortunately, supervisory authorities cannot fine hotels that charge SR100,000 for a room in the central area,” said Abu Rayash. “They actually calculate prices based on the cost of land, construction and furnishing. Add to that service charges and profit margins and you end up with a price hitherto unheard of.”
“A hotel room in Makkah can cost anywhere between SR150 and SR100,000 a night depending on the location,” he said. “The city has witnessed a massive influx of pilgrims from inside and outside the Kingdom, particularly from the Gulf States, with the advent of the summer vacation.”
“This is in spite of the fact that authorities have limited the number of Umrah pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah to 250,000 per city.”
Expansion projects in the Grand Mosque, worth about SR400 billion, have contributed to price hikes since there are fewer places to stay.
“Hotels to the south of the Grand Mosque are limited to Jabal Omar Hotels, Al-Ghaleb and Al-Tawhid hotels and some a few buildings to the north,” he said.
There are an estimated 60,000 rooms in Makkah, but the majority of these rooms are very far from the Grand Mosque and most pilgrims do not opt for them. Most Umrah pilgrims end up going for the 4,000 rooms that are nearer to the central area.

Makkah hotel room rates break records | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

For me personally this was an unforgettable Eid al-Fitr in Makkah in many ways.​

 

[al-Hasani]

Expansion work ongoing

 

[chauvunist]

Mashallah Wonderful Images bro...Jazakallah..

 

[al-Hasani]

(Deleted my post by a mistake)

Mashallah Wonderful Images bro...Jazakallah..

You are most welcome brother.


Makkah_fb by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

Reading Quraan_inside Masjidunnabawi by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

Masjid_Nabawi_Madinah_roof by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

haram-8 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr


016 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr


029 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

The_Holy_Prophet's_Mosque_Madinah-10015 by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

Masjid_Nabawi_Madinah_panorama by ArabianLens.com, on Flickr

 

[al-Hasani]

General statistics of the Umrah season 1435/2014

Until 6 Shawal 1435 - 3 August 2014

Total Number of the Mutamirs:

*6,051,620*
______________________________________
Number expected for the whole Umrah season
6,000,000

Beautiful.​

 

[idune]

Saudi Hires “Israel Friendly” Security Firm to Overlook Hajj, Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca

By: Orouba Othman

This year [2013], the mandatory Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, or hajj, will compound the Palestinians’ woes. Palestinian pilgrims will be greeted by a company that assists in their repression – and even torture – under the Israeli occupation regime. Indeed, hajj this year will be brought to you by none other than G4S.

[“First, the company has provided security equipment and services to incarceration facilities holding Palestinian political prisoners inside Israel and in the occupied West Bank. Second, the company offers security services to businesses in settlements. Third, the company has provided equipment and maintenance services to Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank. Finally, the company has also provided security systems for the Israeli police headquarters in the West Bank.” G4S at http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/8903]

This is not the first time that the Saudi government has hired the private security firm, which has recruited a staggering 700,000 to provide hajj-related services this year, according to exclusive information obtained by Al-Akhbar. Most of the leaked reports indicate that security for the hajj season since 2010 has been entrusted to al-Majal G4S, an affiliate of the parent company G4S.

The private security contractor has also been implicated in enabling the torture of administrative detainees in Palestine, including children, according to BDS activist Zaid Shuaibi.
The CEO of al-Majal G4S is a former security official in Saudi named Khaled Baghdadi. The Saudi subsidiary is fully owned by the British-Danish firm.

The parent company has not disclosed the nature of the contracts it has signed with the Saudi authorities. In its periodic reports, G4S makes limited references to its Saudi operations, such as winning a contract with Jeddah Metro to assist with security during the hajj, or stating that the company assists in the transport of more than 3 million pilgrims who visit Mecca each year. In 2011, the website Asrar Ararabiya – Arab Secrets – published an ad by the company asking people to apply to work in Mecca for seven days only, during hajj.

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign has not been sitting idly by. In a press conference on Wednesday, October 2, the campaign sent a clear message to the Saudi government, urging it to terminate the contract with the company that happens to provide equipment and security services to protect Israeli settlements, occupation checkpoints, and police facilities. The private security contractor has also been implicated in enabling the torture of administrative detainees in Palestine, including children, according to BDS activist Zaid Shuaibi.

BDS activists were not the only ones to react to the news. Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem and the imam of al-Aqsa Mosque, has proclaimed, “This company operates in security, and has activities and commitments in areas under Israeli occupation. Those who help the occupation must be held accountable and are complicit in the crime, as those who help aggressors also are aggressors.”

Saudi Hires “Israel Friendly” Security Firm to Overlook Hajj, Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca | Global Research

 

[asad71]

That's a shame.Should be changed immediately.All contracts,sub-contracts and commercial appointments must remain limited to Muslims. If they are not the best, so be it. But this must be Muslim exclusive.

 

[al-Hasani]

Quit polluting my excellent thread with ancient and irrelevant news.

Prince Mishaal vows quality Haj services​

Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah​

JEDDAH: P. K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS STAFF

Published — Wednesday 20 August 2014

Last update 21 August 2014 3:05 am

The Haj Ministry has published the list of companies that provide low-cost Haj services.

The full list is available at شركات الحج لمخيمات منخفضة التكلفة.

The announcement came as Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah has called for qualitative improvement in Haj services.
“We have to exert maximum efforts to remove all obstacles for the success of this great annual event,” he told senior officials.
He noted the progress achieved by the Haram expansion project, the Haramain Railway linking Makkah and Madinah, and the new Jeddah airport, saying it reflects the government’s endeavors to boost pilgrim services.
Nearly 2.5 million pilgrims are expected this year to perform Haj, which is scheduled to start on Oct. 2.
The first group of Hajis will arrive here from South Africa on Aug. 25.
“The service to the nation means facilitating things for the welfare of citizens and residents and providing better services applying the easiest methods,” the governor said.
The governor said his administration would expand electronic and computer facilities to provide quality services.
Prince Mishaal said he was determined to end the problem of stalled and delayed projects.
“We don’t want to see any stalled project in the region,” he said, adding that he would personally follow up every project.
Haj Minister Bandar Hajar, meanwhile, urged Haj-related departments and agencies to take effective measures to expedite arrival and departure procedures of pilgrims to avoid delays at Jeddah and Madinah airports.
“We have to apply modern technology to improve services to the guests of God,” the minister said while speaking to officials of the United Agencies who receive Haj pilgrims on arrival in the Kingdom.
Officials of United Agencies briefed Hajar on their efforts to reduce the time of stay for pilgrims at airports and other entry points and their deployment of highly qualified employees to extend better services.
Hajar urged United Agencies’ executives and employees to put greater efforts to improve services, being the frontline staff who deal with pilgrims upon their arrival at airports and other land and sea entry points.

Prince Mishaal vows quality Haj services | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

Dar al-Hijra residential project in Madinah

A bit of Madinah and its old railway station​

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[Wahhab2701]

Masha Alloh. Excellent pictures bro, thank you very much. Please keep them coming. And welcome back (again)!

 

[al-Hasani]

Wonderful time laps from the blessed month of Ramadan

Showing the amazing work of cleaners, workers and volunteers. Ordinary people that each second, minute, hour, day, week, month, year etc. work 24/7 to keep the most holy places on earth in the right condition. A big applause to them from my part. Like to all of those before them that are not here on this earth anymore.

Masha Alloh. Excellent pictures bro, thank you very much. Please keep them coming. And welcome back (again)!