Middle East

Jul 3: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has instructed Grand Mosque authorities to open the newly expanded annex buildings of the Grand Mosque for the use of worshippers during Ramadan. A source at the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques said the king’s directive would provide extra prayer space for more than 625,000 worshippers inside the mosque and its courtyards. The royal gesture

Madinah, Jul 2: The Ministry of Social Affairs is monitoring charities in the country closely during Ramadan to ensure there are proper accounts kept of Zakat Al-Fitr and other funds collected and distributed. Sources said that the ministry would require all registered organizations dealing with public funds to provide detailed breakdowns of all their financial activities according to Islamic law

Riyadh, Jul 1: Travel operators in Riyadh will increase the prices of weekend Umrah packages from SR90 per head to SR160 from Wednesday thanks to the influx of pilgrims during Ramadan. Demand is expected to be heavy until the end of the Ramadan season. This year, the peak season coincides with the summer holidays. As such, a large number of vacationers, including Saudis, are expected to perform

Jeddah, Jul 1: Philanthropists will distribute more than 7.5 million packets of iftar meals among worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah throughout Ramadan. “Everyday they supply 250,000 iftar meals, of which 80,000 meals are distributed in the northern courtyard and 70,000 in the southern courtyard,” said an official in charge of distributing the meals. “We also distribute 90,000 to 120,000

Riyadh, Jun 30: The Riyadh Municipality clarified the image of the three workers preparing a large quantity of shawarma (grilled chicken meat on large vertical skewers) in unsanitary conditions is that of a restaurant in Turkey and not in the Kingdom. The image went viral on social media networks raising a lot of concern about the hygiene and sanitation levels in the Kingdom. The questions however

Makkah, Jun 29: The head of the Doors Department at the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques said 150 doors of Masjid-ul-Haram in Makkah will remain open to receive Umrah pilgrims and visitors during the holy month of Ramadan. Abdullah Al-Temaih said 19 doors are designated for special needs visitors. In addition, 10 escalators around the Grand Mosque will help ensure the smooth flow of worshipers

Manama, Jun 29: Three Indian expatriates, severely injured here in a terror blast two days ago, are recuperating in a hospital in Bahrain's capital Manama, a media report said on Saturday. Binoy Baby, 30, Jayabalan Markose, 47, and Anil Ebraham, 33, were injured when a homemade bomb made out of a gas cylinder exploded in Segaiya area in Manama Thursday night, Gulf Daily News reported. Markose

Jeddah, Jun 29: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah emphasized Saturday that Saudi Arabia is determined to root out terrorism, adding that Riyadh would adopt all measures to protect citizens and residents from the menace. In a message to the nation on the advent of Ramadan, King Abdullah expressed hope that militants who instigate terror in different parts of the world would return to

Riyadh, Jun 28: Imams in mosques throughout the Kingdom, including those in Makkah and Madinah, welcomed on Friday the holy month of Ramadan with an immense sense of piety and requested their respective congregation to strictly follow the teachings of the Holy Qur’an during the fasting period. The Supreme Court in Riyadh called on all Muslims in the Kingdom to sight the crescent of the lunar month

Jeddah, Jun 27: The second phase of the massive ongoing expansion project inside Makkah’s Grand Mosque is almost complete, with the first floor area for circumambulation around the House of God, known as the “mataf,” expected to be open for pilgrims during the month of Ramadan. The worksite was inspected by Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency of the Grand Mosque and Prophet’s