Makkah’s Grand Mosque Welcomes a Million Worshippers Daily

01 April 2023, Saudi Arabia, Makkah: Muslims perform the "Tarawih" evening prayers at the Great Mosque in Makkah during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (SPA)
01 April 2023, Saudi Arabia, Makkah: Muslims perform the "Tarawih" evening prayers at the Great Mosque in Makkah during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (SPA)
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Makkah’s Grand Mosque Welcomes a Million Worshippers Daily

01 April 2023, Saudi Arabia, Makkah: Muslims perform the "Tarawih" evening prayers at the Great Mosque in Makkah during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (SPA)
01 April 2023, Saudi Arabia, Makkah: Muslims perform the "Tarawih" evening prayers at the Great Mosque in Makkah during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (SPA)

The Grand Mosque in Makkah has been welcoming nearly a million Umrah pilgrims and worshippers daily since the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan that began 12 days ago.

The numbers are expected to rise in the second half of the month.

The General Presidency of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and Prophet's Mosque announced that as of Saturday, 9,357,853 worshippers and Umrah pilgrims from across the globe have visited the Grand Mosque since the beginning of the holy month.

Relevant authorities have intensified their efforts to provide the best services to the worshippers so that they can perform their prayers smoothly.

Authorities have handed out 508,560 bottles of zamzam water. They provided volunteer services to 982,154 beneficiaries, 1,992,050 have benefited from field guidance and 719,500 from digital awareness services.

Some 322,700 liters of disinfectants have been used to clean the carpets at the Grand Mosque and 320,800 to clean its roofs, and 47,500 liters of hand sanitizers have been distributed. The Grand Mosque has been furnished with 35,000 carpets.

Social and humanitarian services have benefitted 249,906 people, and 653,369 people have benefitted from guidance that is provided in various languages.

Moreover, the General Presidency of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and Prophet's Mosque revealed that the average duration of the Umrah rituals performed by each pilgrim had reached 104 minutes. The smooth process is testament to the services provided by the authorities.

On Sunday, General President of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and Prophet's Mosque Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais announced that the Presidency has completed the preparation of the third Saudi expansion of the Grand Mosque.

He stated that all its floors, roofs, and yards are ready to accommodate the largest number of pilgrims and visitors.

He extended his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the great efforts and unprecedented services they provide for the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors.



Kuwait Court Drops Case Against Notorious Pentagon Hacker

Palace of Justice in Kuwait
Palace of Justice in Kuwait
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Kuwait Court Drops Case Against Notorious Pentagon Hacker

Palace of Justice in Kuwait
Palace of Justice in Kuwait

The Kuwaiti Court of Cassation upheld on Sunday the dismissal of criminal charges against a notorious Kuwaiti hacker who had infiltrated hundreds of websites around the world, including the US Department of Defense’s (Pentagon) website.
The Court of Cassation, the highest judicial authority, affirmed a previous ruling by the Court of Appeals that the 28-year-old defendant could not be prosecuted for the allegations in this case, which occurred 10 years ago.
The accused faced criminal charges related to his hacking of the US Department of Defense website, accessing sensitive weapon sites, and infiltrating 200 American websites, with the information being published in 2011.
On October 9, 2023, the Criminal Court dropped the criminal case against the hacker accused of breaking into global websites, including the Pentagon’s website.
The court’s decision to drop the charges against the hacker was based on the principle that the accused could not be tried for accusations committed over 10 years ago, as the acts were carried out from 2010 to 2012.
The charge of endangering Kuwait’s potential to sever relations by hacking the US Department of Defense website was also dismissed.
The prosecution had accused the defendant of hacking more than 200 sites, some of which contained confidential information belonging to the US.
The hacker was also accused of deceitfully appropriating money through fraud by marketing his website post-hack to attract victims to subscribe and browse the website.