RIYADH: The Saudi Water Authority announced on Friday that nearly 1 billion liters of water would be pumped to Makkah and the holy sites during the Day of Tarwiyah, as part of its operational plan to secure the supply for pilgrims and all beneficiaries during the Hajj season, the state news agency SPA reported. The authority said it is preparing to keep pace with the water needs for the Day of Arafah, Eid Al-Adha, and the Days of Tashreeq, after announcing its readiness to raise the supply to record levels over last year.

JEDDAH: Not so long ago, the very notion of flying cars was considered pure science fiction. However, a recent public demonstration in Saudi Arabia has shown that the technology is not only real, but could soon become a staple of the public transport and logistics network. Officials from the Kingdom’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and the Ministry of Hajj gathered in the Saudi city of Makkah on June 12 to watch what was billed as the first successful test flight of a self-driving aerial taxi.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday met today with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on the sidelines of the Ukraine Peace Summit, being held in the Swiss city of Lucerne. During the meeting, they discussed developments in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, opportunities to enhance cooperation between the Kingdom and Ukraine, and ways to support and develop it in many fields, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior and chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud has inspected the special security forces participating in this year's Hajj security forces in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency said early Sunday. As part of the visit, Prince Abdulaziz met with the commanders of the forces and discussed their preparations for their assigned tasks. Prince Abdulaziz was accompanied by several high-ranking officials and senior officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security.  

ARAFAT: Amid strict security and health measures, this year’s Hajj pilgrims arrived in Arafat early Saturday morning, the ninth day of Dul Hijjah, and attended the annual Hajj sermon at Namirah Mosque. As the sun rose, pilgrims camping in the tent city of Mina performed dawn prayers, then began their journey to Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad gave his final sermon more than 144 decades ago. On Saturday, one could hear nothing louder than the crowd chanting supplications.

ARAFAT: The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque translated the Arafat Day sermon on Saturday into 37 international languages, including live translation into 20 and non-simultaneous translation into 17 further languages. This allowed Muslims to follow the sermon through the Al-Haramain platform, the authority’s YouTube channel, the Nusuk platform, and FM radio frequencies in the Arafat region.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday received cables of congratulations from leaders of Islamic countries on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, which begins on Monday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The king and crown prince sent messages of thanks to the leaders for their congratulatory cables. Hajj pilgrims arrived in Arafat early Saturday morning, the ninth day of Dul Hijjah, and attended the annual Hajj sermon at Namirah Mosque.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Saturday that any credible peace talks on the war in Ukraine will need Russia’s participation and that it would involve “difficult compromise.” Prince Faisal was speaking at a conference in Switzerland aimed at engineering a peace between Russia and Ukraine and he added that Saudi Arabia was committed to helping to bring an end to the conflict.

ARAFAT: The Saudi Ministry of Interior has said that Hajj security forces have apprehended 25 individuals at the entrances to Makkah for violating Hajj regulations and instructions, including performing rituals without a permit. The individuals include seven expatriates and 18 citizens, who were transporting 103 violators.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Waste Management, or MWAN, has lunched initiatives to provide a healthy and clean environment for pilgrims throughout the Hajj period. Sultan Al-Harthi, a spokesperson at the center, told Arab News that the initiatives are part of efforts to improve and regulate waste management during the Hajj season, preserving natural resources for future generations.

JEDDAH: Some 32 children’s hospitality centers in Makkah and Madinah have been set up this year to take care of children while their parents are performing Hajj. The centers, which were established by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in partnership with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, can accommodate more than 1,000 children each day, targeting boys and girls between the ages of 1 and 10.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has officially received the Asian Physics Olympiad flag as it prepares to host the 2025 edition of one of the largest scientific events in Asia, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday. The symbolic flag was handed over to the Kingdom by Malaysia, which recently hosted the 2024 APhO edition in Kampar.  Saudi Arabia’s team of 8 students won five awards in the 2024 competition, which featured 208 students from 27 countries from June 3-10, 2024.

MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia: Following the footsteps of prophets beneath a burning sun, Muslims from around the world congregated Saturday at a sacred hill in Saudi Arabia for intense, daylong worship and reflection. The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage. It is often the most memorable for pilgrims, who stand shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet, asking God for mercy, blessings, prosperity and good health. The mount is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Makkah.

MAKKAH:The security spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, Colonel Talal bin Abdulmohsen Al-Shalhoub, announced the successful implementation of the plan's first phase to smoothly transport pilgrims to the holy sites.  He made his statement on Friday during the daily press conference for the Hajj season 2024, with the participation of official spokespersons for the Ministries of Hajj and Umrah, Health, Transport and Logistics.

RIYADH: Innovative road-cooling technology is set to make pilgrims’ experience of Hajj safer and more comfortable as temperatures soar to 46 degrees Celsius in the summer heat. A spokesman for the Roads General Authority, Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, told Arab News: “When roads are exposed to sunlight, they absorb heat, reaching up to 70 degrees Celsius of temperature retention once the sun sets.”

JEDDAH: Hajj draws about 2 million people each year. However, this monumental event places a significant strain on the environment through waste, water and energy consumption, and carbon emissions.  That is why measures have been put in place to encourage pilgrims to minimize their waste, use resources judiciously, and reduce their overall carbon footprint while fulfilling their Hajj obligations.

RIYADH: The owner of a building that collapsed in Jeddah at the end of May, killing seven people and injuring another eight, has been detained, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority announced on Thursday. The authority found that the building owner, Firas Hani Jamal Al-Turki, the deputy minister for shared services at the Ministry of Culture, had tried to apply for a building permit. The local municipality ordered Al-Turki to stop construction on the building after it was found to have technical defects, but he failed to comply.

MAKKAH: Around 93,000 pilgrims benefited from services offered by Saudi Ministry of Health care centers during the first days of the Hajj season. The ministry said that 19 open-heart surgeries, 218 cardiac catheterizations and 676 dialysis procedures were among the operations performed. More than 2,020 pilgrims were admitted to hospitals and health centers for treatment. Health services provided to worshippers include medical and specialized clinics, pharmacies, dialysis centers, intensive care units and isolation units, the ministry said.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s drug control authority arrested a Bangladeshi national on Saturday after allegedly finding him in possession of 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, according to the Saudi Press Agency. According to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control, the confiscated items have been submitted to the Public Prosecution.

MINA: The Interior Ministry announced on Friday that the Hajj Security Forces apprehended 18 suspects at Makkah’s entrances for violating Hajj rules and regulations by transporting 91 persons without Hajj permits. The Saudi Press Agency reported that the suspects, a GCC national, an expatriate and 16 Saudi citizens, were detained on Thursday.

ALKHOBAR: Since the non-profit ZADK Culinary Academy officially opened its doors in 2019, it has cooked up some hearty dishes and continues to break records, do good, and train the region’s future culinary masters. “ZADK won the Quality Award in Education and Training from the Ministry of Tourism, and has gained the trust of the Human Resources Development Fund, which supported the delivery of diploma courses for 100 male and female chefs and helped 240 others train for a qualifying certificate in the mini cooking program,” Rania Moualla, the academy’s founder, told Arab News.

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Media Salman bin Youssef Al-Dossary has inspected media offices at the holy sites where he was briefed on the techniques used by the Saudi Broadcasting Authority in covering the Hajj rituals in Arafat. He also visited the Arafat Tower and was briefed on the authority’s mobile television studio. Al-Dossary visited the media centre in Arafat, which has all necessary equipment to facilitate the work of local journalists and their international partners. He also toured the ministry’s office in Mina to inspect the facilities there.

RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawa and Guidance has prepared 2,945 mosques and musallas for Eid Al-Adha prayers in Riyadh and affiliated governorates. The ministry said its Riyadh branch is conducting inspection tours, as well as carrying out maintenance and cleaning work, and is providing all mosques in the region with necessities including incense to ensure that all mosques and musallas are ready to receive worshippers.

RIYADH: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Jeddah on Friday to perform Hajj as the first day of the annual pilgrimage got underway.  El-Sisi arrived in the Kingdom on Thursday and later prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.  Wearing the ihram, the president was seen off by the governor of Madinah Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz earlier on Friday at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport.

RIYADH: Al-Zamazma Company has distributed more than 35 million bottles of Zamzam water to residences and reception centers across Makkah, reported Saudi Press Agency on Friday. The gesture is part of ongoing efforts to ensure pilgrims have easy access to the sacred water throughout their Hajj journey. Yasser bin Sulaiman Shushu, board member of Al-Zamazma Company, praised the dedication of the teams which delivered the water. Distribution is via the Zamzam digital platform, which integrates with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s Nusuk platform, he said.

In sweltering temperatures, Muslim pilgrims in Makkah converged on a vast tent camp in the desert on Friday, officially opening the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Ahead of their trip, they circled the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site. More than 1.5 million pilgrims from around the world have already amassed in and around Makkah for the Hajj, and the number was still growing as more pilgrims from inside Saudi Arabia joined.   Saudi authorities expected the number to exceed 2 million this year.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense is ready to provide safety and security services, including the air ambulance, as pilgrims gather at the tent city of Mina. The Kingdom has launched the air ambulance service to enhance healthcare for pilgrims undertaking Hajj this season. The first emergency case had already been transported, the ministry said on Friday.

RIYADH:Ten investors have been convicted of violating the Kingdom’s Capital Market Law and ordered to pay the government a total of $27.1 million in fines and compensation for losses, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. The Appeal Committee for Resolution of Securities Disputes, or ACRSD, sentenced one of the individuals to imprisonment, the SPA report said. The “final decision” was issued by the ACRSD on Dec. 24, 2023.

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered 25 tonnes of dates to the World Food Programme’s office in Guinea, reported the Saudi Press Agency. The dates were delivered in the presence of Saudi Ambassador Fahd bin Eid Al-Rashidi and representatives of the aid agency at WFP headquarters in Conakry, the country’s capital. The WFP delegate in Conakry, Hyoung-Joon Lim, received the shipment on Thursday.

RIYADH: King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language on Thursday signed an agreement with Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies in Tashkent. The agreement aims to enhance cooperation in promoting the Arabic language, teaching it, preserving its integrity and supporting its use in alignment with the objectives of the human capability development program, one of the initiatives of Saudi Vision 2030.

RIYADH: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived in the Saudi city of Madinah on Thursday and prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque, the Saudi Press Agency reported. El-Sisi was received by Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the governor of the Madinah region, and a number of local officials on his arrival at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport. The annual pilgrimage starts on Friday and El-Sisi will be taking part this year. 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent a message of condolence and sympathy to Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera following the deaths of Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others in a plane crash. The king wrote: “We received news of the death of the vice president of the Republic of Malawi, Mr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, and his companions, and we express to your excellency and your friendly people our deepest condolences and sincere sympathy.” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a similar message to the president, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

MAKKAH: Authorities have reminded pilgrims that the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority’s Tawakkalna app provides access to several digital services that can help them during Hajj.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s climate envoy Adel Al-Jubeir said the Kingdom is one of the largest investors in clean energy and has huge projects aimed at reducing the effects of climate change and initiatives to enhance global climate action. Al-Jubeir, who is also the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Cabinet member, added that these projects include a waste recycling program, Middle East Green Initiative, and one of the largest hydrogen schemes in the world, which is being established in NEOM. 

RIYADH: Red Sea Global, the developer behind regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and AMAALA, has announced substantial progress on its Turtle Bay Hospital project.  The hospital, located in The Red Sea’s Turtle Bay area, will provide world-class health care to people living in, working at, and visiting the 1.5 million sq m waterfront site. The Red Sea destination is set to welcome about 300,000 guests annually once the first phase of resorts is completed next year.