عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Gulf

2 Million Pilgrims Begin Hajj on Friday with Comprehensive Services at Their Disposal

The pilgrims will spend the day at Mina ahead of heading to Arafat on Saturday. (SPA)
The pilgrims will spend the day at Mina ahead of heading to Arafat on Saturday. (SPA)
TT
TT

2 Million Pilgrims Begin Hajj on Friday with Comprehensive Services at Their Disposal

The pilgrims will spend the day at Mina ahead of heading to Arafat on Saturday. (SPA)
The pilgrims will spend the day at Mina ahead of heading to Arafat on Saturday. (SPA)

Over 2 million pilgrims will begin on Friday the annual Hajj pilgrimage, starting at Mina, and amid a comprehensive package of services at their disposal aimed at ensuring that they have a safe and smooth journey.

The pilgrims will spend the day at Mina where they will perform the Duhr, Asr, Maghreb and Isha prayers ahead of heading to Arafat on Saturday in what is the most important day of the Hajj.

Mina is considered the greatest tent city of the world and one Saudi Arabia’s mega projects. It stretches 2.5 million square meters to accommodate 2.6 million pilgrims.

Muslim worshippers pray around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah on June 13, 2024, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)

The General Directorate of Passports revealed that it has registered 1,547,295 pilgrims this year.

Director of Public Security and head of the Hajj Security Committee Mohammad Al-Bassami inspected the readiness of the Hajj security forces and supporting military forces. He underscored their readiness in implementing security and organizational plans aimed at ensuring the safety of the pilgrims.

He stressed that the security forces will firmly confront anything that may undermine the safety of the pilgrims during their holy journey.

Pilgrims leave after offering prayers outside at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, early Friday, June 14, 2024. (AP)

The Saudi Royal Air Force will also be monitoring the Hajj to provide security and prevent any development that may impact the pilgrimage and worshippers.

Concerned parties at the Interior Ministry will follow up on the security plans and crowd control. They will monitor entrances to the holy city of Makkah to prevent anyone violating Hajj regulations from entering.

Meanwhile, the first of the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro trips kicked off on Thursday. It will transport pilgrims between nine stations spread between Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. Seventeen trains will be operated by 7,500 employees.

The first of the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro trips kicked off on Thursday. (SPA)

The Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence has provided the pilgrims with several digital services through the Tawakkalna app that is available in seven languages: Arabic, English, Filipino, Indonesian, Bengali, Urdu and Hindi. The app provides message, weather and Qibla services, a Quran, and prayer times. It also boasts features from the Nusuk Hajj digital card and other services.

The Public Health Authority will provide a number of services to the pilgrims. It has placed plans to combat infectious diseases, updated protocols and guidelines related to public health risks, and is constantly assessing risks.

The Ministry of Health is continuing its awareness campaign towards pilgrims throughout the holy sites. It is informing them of preventive measures that will help them protect their health and safety during the Hajj. This includes information on how to protect themselves from heat exhaustion due to the soaring heat. Pilgrims are advised to carry umbrellas and drink water.

The health ministry is also providing instant digital medical consultations around the clock. Pilgrims can contact consultants through a dedicated hotline with services provided in six languages: Arabic, English, French, Turkish, Persian and Urdu. They can also be contacted through the X platform or the Sehhaty app.

Most Viewed

 
 
Gulf

GCC Counties Stress Support for the Lebanese People

The GCC Ministerial Council in Doha. Photo: GCC
The GCC Ministerial Council in Doha. Photo: GCC
TT
TT

GCC Counties Stress Support for the Lebanese People

The GCC Ministerial Council in Doha. Photo: GCC
The GCC Ministerial Council in Doha. Photo: GCC

The Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council have condemned the escalation in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, and emphasized the necessity of protecting the region's security.

In a statement following a meeting of the GCC Ministerial Council in Doha on Wednesday, the ministers said the escalation poses a threat to international peace and security and undermines efforts for peace and security in the region and the world.

The ministers “emphasized the necessity of protecting the region's security and preventing the expansion of the conflict.”

The Council also called on all parties involved in this escalation to exercise restraint, cease violence, and prioritize dialogue.

The statement urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities to maintain security and stability in the region and to implement international legitimacy resolutions related to the area.

On Lebanon, the ministers affirmed the GCC’s support for the Lebanese people, and called for “intensifying international and regional efforts to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Lebanon to alleviate the suffering of civilians and protect them from any serious repercussions.”

“The Council stressed the necessity of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, related international resolutions, and the Taif Agreement to restore lasting security and stability in Lebanon and ensure respect for the integrity of its territory, political independence, and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders,” said the statement.

On Palestine, the Council also affirmed the GCC’s support for the Palestinian people, condemning the Israeli aggression against Gaza and the West Bank.

“It called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the lifting of the blockade imposed on the area, and the release of hostages and detainees.”

The ministers “emphasized the importance of opening all crossings immediately and unconditionally, ensuring the delivery of all relief, humanitarian, medical supplies, and basic needs to the residents of Gaza in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law.”

The Council emphasized the importance of the efforts of the Ministerial Committee chaired by “Saudi Arabia, which was formed by the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, as well as to mobilize international support for the State of Palestine in its quest for recognition by more countries, in addition to supporting its bid for full membership in the United Nations, and to convene an international peace conference.”

The ministers also reaffirmed the need to end Israeli occupation, and the support for the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over all Palestinian territories occupied since June 1967.

They called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international resolutions.

The Council expressed its support for the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting held by the committee chaired by Saudi Arabia, which was formed by the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in collaboration with Norway and the European Union in order to launch the “The Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-state Solution” to realize the Palestinian state, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.