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Saudi Arabia Forecasts Hot to Scorching Weather in Makkah, Holy Sites During Hajj 

Chief Executive of Saudi Arabia’s National Center of Meteorology (NCM) Ayman Ghulam speaks at the press conference in Makkah on Tuesday. (SPA)
Chief Executive of Saudi Arabia’s National Center of Meteorology (NCM) Ayman Ghulam speaks at the press conference in Makkah on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Forecasts Hot to Scorching Weather in Makkah, Holy Sites During Hajj 

Chief Executive of Saudi Arabia’s National Center of Meteorology (NCM) Ayman Ghulam speaks at the press conference in Makkah on Tuesday. (SPA)
Chief Executive of Saudi Arabia’s National Center of Meteorology (NCM) Ayman Ghulam speaks at the press conference in Makkah on Tuesday. (SPA)

Makkah and the holy sites are expected to experience hot to extremely hot weather during this year's Hajj season, with temperatures reaching their peak at midday.

During a press conference in Makkah on Tuesday, Chief Executive of Saudi Arabia’s National Center of Meteorology (NCM) Ayman Ghulam stated that daily high temperatures in the holy sites during the Hajj are forecast to range from 45 to 48 degrees Celsius.

He said surface winds during the day may stir up dust, particularly in open areas and highways. Wind speeds are expected to range from 10 to 35 km/h, with speeds increasing in the presence of thunderclouds.

Although the chances of rainfall at the holy sites remain low, Ghulam noted that thunderclouds may form in the heights of Taif, and their effects could extend to the holy sites, resulting in strong descending winds that stir up dust and sand.

Humidity may reach up to 60% during the Hajj, he said.

Ghulam announced that the NCM has launched a media and awareness center in Mina, which will broadcast daily weather bulletins and provide awareness and educational messages for pilgrims in five languages through 12 media channels operating round the clock.

He emphasized that the services offered by the center will also cater to the needs of pilgrims with disabilities and keep official and local media platforms informed.

The center aims to facilitate the movement of pilgrims within the holy sites and provide relevant entities with comprehensive access to weather data and potential meteorological phenomena.

Ghulam also highlighted the involvement of regional centers affiliated with the NCM during the Hajj season. The centers will conduct studies and research related to climate, dust and sandstorms, and opportunities for weather improvement.

The centers include the Regional Center for Climate Change, the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center, and the Regional Program for Cloud Seeding.

Ghulam underscored the center's operational readiness for this year's Hajj, saying it is utilizing an integrated system of technologies, human capabilities, and technical expertise, ensuring the highest levels of success in alignment with the government's directives to employ all energies and capabilities to meet the needs of Hajj pilgrims and ensure their comfort.

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Taiwan’s Representative to Saudi Arabia: 260,000 Pagers Exported in Two Years

Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Taiwan’s Representative to Saudi Arabia: 260,000 Pagers Exported in Two Years

Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Taiwan is investigating who is responsible for modifying the pagers that were turned into explosives in the hands of the Lebanese people, including members of Hezbollah.

Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang told Asharq Al-Awsat that 260,000 pagers were exported from his country between 2022 and 2024, and 16 percent of them were sent to the United States and Europe.

He expressed his regret that the pagers were planted with explosives that were used in the attack in Lebanon last month, clarifying that the devices were not directly exported from Taiwan to Lebanon.

He explained that the components of the device are made of material that is not liable to explode.

Apollo Gold, the Taiwanese company that exported the pagers between 2022 and 2024, has never received any complaints that its devices have caused harm or exploded.

The attack in Lebanon has raised several questions and they are being probed by authorities in Taiwan, he went on to say.

One thing is for certain, the devices were not harmful in the shape they were exported from the country, stressed Chang.

Asked about whether the attack may harm Taiwan’s economy, he replied that his country’s industry sector has a strong reputation that will be difficult to undermine given the trust it has from clients.

The size of the sector and Taiwan’s investments cannot be measured by a small number of pagers, as they only make up a mere fraction in the country’s trade relations with countries all over the world, he stressed.

Separately, Chang revealed that Taiwan was considering cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the chip industry, saying he was optimistic over the broad potential for cooperation in the technology sector.

There are no limits to the cooperation between them, he added.

Taiwan constantly wants to maintain the relations and discuss opportunities for joint investments, he stated.

Taiwan was among the first countries to leap to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in all fields to help the Kingdom achieve its Vision 2030 that is spearheaded by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Chang said.