Unqualified foreign drivers who do not know how to drive buses and heavy vehicles are the cause of about 60 percent of the traffic accidents involving Haj pilgrims, Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic daily reported yesterday, quoting officials of private transport companies. The company officials expressed their fears about the possibility of
Tagged as: Makkah
No plan to cut number of pilgrims, says Hajjar
Fahd Al-Manee’ MAKKAH — The Kingdom has no plans to restrict the number of pilgrims during the next Umrah season. Announcing this at a press conference here, Dr. Bandar Hajjar, Minister of Haj, put at rest reports that the number of pilgrims will be drastically reduced owing to the ongoing
Makkah-Madinah train set to roll by January 2014
JEDDAH: Construction is under way on the first high-speed passenger railway line between Makkah and Madinah and is expected to be complete by January 2014. Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry, said the new Madinah railway station situated close to the Prince Muhammad Airport would serve Haj and Umrah pilgrims more efficiently.
Six million foreign pilgrims performed Umrah
Around six million foreign pilgrims have traveled through the Haj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah during this year to perform Umrah, said Abdul Hameed Abalarry, director of the airport, yesterday. “One hundred Umrah flights have departed from the Haj Terminal daily since 27th of Ramadan till last
Expansion to triple mataf’s capacity
JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS Monday 6 August 2012 The expansion project for the mataf (the circumambulation area around the Kaaba) will triple its capacity, according to a senior official of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute of Haj Research. Abdul Aziz Saroji said the expanded mataf would be able
Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, washed the holy Ka’ba
Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, washed the holy Ka’ba with Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais. — SG/SPA On behalf of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, washed the holy Ka’ba, Thursday. The Emir is seen doing the Tawaf along with Sheikh Abdul
No accommodation crisis in Makkah, says MCCI
Nada Al-Maddah Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — The Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has denied rumors about an artificial accommodation crisis created by tourism service providers in the holy city. The MCCI said Umrah companies have not been harmed by the high occupancy rates in accommodation facilities in the
Bawabat Makkah Project – Makkah Gate
Bawabat Makkah is a visionary new city to be built on the western edge of the Makkah Holy Region straddling the Heal boundary line along Jeddah – Makkah Highway. The area of the City covers approximately 86 square kilometers of land and will house an estimated population of approximately 690,000
Mataf expansion – An Artists Impression (PHOTO & VIDEO)
Artist’s impression of the horizontal and vertical expansion of the mataf of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, which will accommodate 130,000 pilgrims at a time. The project, which is expected to be completed in three years, will increase the current capacity of the mataf by 75 percent and extend the
Al-Haramain Train enters final phase
JEDDAH —The final phase of the multibillion riyal Al-Haramain Train Project will be signed soon. This will see the purchase of 35 trains with 13 carriages, traffic signs and railway tracks, which will be installed by a Saudi-Spanish consortium. This phase will reportedly cost just over SR30 billion. It will