Baghdad, Iraq--A road accident killed 18 people, mostly Iranian pilgrims, north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad overnight, the state news agency INA reported Saturday. The "horrible accident" between Dujail and Samarra also injured 15 people, INA said, citing the toll from Khaled Burhan, director of health services in Salaheddine province....
Muslims mark Eid al-Adha with prayers, festivities
Hundreds of millions of Muslims in their best dresses packed mosques in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas to mark the festive occasion.
‘God’s guests’: Saudis safeguard hajj hospitality tradition
Luxury accommodations and air-conditioned shopping malls have not replaced the deeply ingrained culture of hospitality in Islam's holiest city.The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, will start on Sunday
Mecca, Saudi Arabia - The annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, will start on Sunday with more than two million Muslims from around the world expected to take part this year. It will be the largest pilgrimage since the coronavirus pandemic forced Saudi authorities to dramatically...
Iraq and Iran discuss boosting ties in transportation sector
Baghdad, Iraq--Iraq is looking to deepen cooperation with Iran in the transport sector and facilitate the movement of pilgrims between the two countries. The issue was discussed in a meeting in Baghdad between the Iranian and Iraqi ministers focusing on the ways to expand cooperation between the two countries. The meeting...
Saudi bus crash kills 20 pilgrims on way to Mecca: state media
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--A bus ferrying pilgrims to the holy city of Mecca burst into flames after a collision on a bridge on Monday, killing 20 people and injuring more than two dozen others, Saudi state media reported. The incident in the southern province of Asir highlights persistent challenges to safely transporting...
JODC posts increase in revenue
High pilgrim traffic caused revenue to go up to $104.34m.
Beside oil, pilgrims help KSA economy boost revenues
The Haj season enhances Saudi Arabia’s political and religious prestige while contributing to its annual revenue of around $8 billion and creating thousands of jobs.
Saudi Arabia to allow one million hajj pilgrims this year: statement
Saudi Arabia said Saturday it will permit one million Muslims from inside and outside the country to participate in this year's hajj, a sharp uptick after pandemic restrictions forced two years of drastically pared-down pilgrimages. The hajj ministry "has authorised one million pilgrims, both foreign and domestic, to perform the...
New guidelines for Umrah pilgrims announced by Saudi ministry
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced an update in the procedures for entering Saudi Arabia for Umrah, which is one of the key non-oil sources of income for the kingdom. This is done to ensure the health and safety of the Umrah Performers and visitors, the ministry said. Based...
Saudi Arabia cancels maximum age for foreign pilgrims
Saudi Arabia has cancelled the maximum age limit of 50 years for all foreign pilgrims, as per local sources.
Saudi borders reopen for vaccinated pilgrims
Authorities in the ministry responsible for coordinating foreign pilgrims will from Monday begin "gradually receiving Umrah requests from various countries of the world," the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Doomed by pandemic, Makkah’s hotels can finally see light
Stung by the lockdown and lack of pilgrims traveling from around the world to Islam’s holiest site, Makkah’s hospital industry sees business returning in next two years.Smart cards and robots: Saudi Arabia’s ‘digital hajj’
The digital system also allows the authorities to guide the tens of thousands who attend the annual event, which in years past has at times been marred by deadly stampedes and accidentsPilgrims arrive in Mecca for second hajj of Covid-19 pandemic
Up to 60,000 Muslims residing in Saudi Arabia are allowed to take part in this year's hajj, evoking the envy and awe of millions of international pilgrims who have been barred for the second year due to the coronavirus pandemicSaudi minister inaugurates projects, initiatives worth $8.35 million for pilgrims
Saudi Arabia on Thursday inaugurated several projects in Jeddah worth SAR 31.32 million ($8.35 million) to help Hajj pilgrims
Saudi Arabia to allow only 60,000 pilgrims from kingdom to perform Hajj
More than two million people converge from around the world to perform the Hajj It will be for the second consecutive year that only Saudis will go to the two holy cities Saudi Arabia will allow no more than 60,000 people, from the kingdom alone, to perform the...Hajj pilgrims can travel to Mecca only if they have smart card, permit
The move is to ensure that all safety measures adopted by the government to keep the virus Only Saudi pilgrims can make the Hajj this year, like last year The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has cautioned pilgrims not to travel to Mecca to perform the Hajj unless they have...
