Hajj will return to pre-pandemic numbers as Saudi Arabia has removed all Covid-19 restrictions, although pilgrims must be vaccinated. Photo: Saleh Al Shaibany
Hajj will return to pre-pandemic numbers as Saudi Arabia has removed all Covid-19 restrictions, although pilgrims must be vaccinated. Photo: Saleh Al Shaibany
Hajj will return to pre-pandemic numbers as Saudi Arabia has removed all Covid-19 restrictions, although pilgrims must be vaccinated. Photo: Saleh Al Shaibany
Hajj will return to pre-pandemic numbers as Saudi Arabia has removed all Covid-19 restrictions, although pilgrims must be vaccinated. Photo: Saleh Al Shaibany

Gulf

Hajj 2023: Saudi Arabia gears up for busy pilgrimage season

Permits to be issued from Friday

Mariam Nihal

April 30, 2023

  • English
  • Arabic

Saudi authorities are gearing up for a busy Hajj season, which is set to start on June 25.

This year, authorities have stressed that pilgrims who wish to perform Hajj must be vaccinated against Covid-19.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said the vaccination deadline was 10 days before the Hajj season begins, and that pilgrims must have all three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine for them to obtain the Hajj permit.

Vaccinations against seasonal flu and meningococcal meningitis are also listed by the ministry. Other vaccines required for those coming from outside Saudi Arabia include yellow fever and polio.

Hajj permits will be issued from Friday.

Pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba in Makkah. AP
Pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba in Makkah. AP
Hajj pilgrims at the Grand Mosque. AP
Hajj pilgrims at the Grand Mosque. AP
Muslims take part in Hajj rituals at the Kaaba in Makkah. AP
Muslims take part in Hajj rituals at the Kaaba in Makkah. AP
Reporters fly over the Grand Mosque. AP
Reporters fly over the Grand Mosque. AP
Hundreds of buses wait to carry pilgrims. AP
Hundreds of buses wait to carry pilgrims. AP
A satellite image shows pilgrims circumambulating the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque. SPA
A satellite image shows pilgrims circumambulating the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque. SPA
Pilgrims on the first day of Tashreeq throw the three Jamarat, beginning with Jamarat al-Soghra, then al-Wusta, and then Jamrat al-Aqaba. SPA
Pilgrims on the first day of Tashreeq throw the three Jamarat, beginning with Jamarat al-Soghra, then al-Wusta, and then Jamrat al-Aqaba. SPA
Pilgrims on the first day of Tashreeq throw the three Jamarat, beginning with Jamarat al-Soghra, then al-Wusta, and then Jamrat al-Aqaba. SPA
Pilgrims on the first day of Tashreeq throw the three Jamarat, beginning with Jamarat al-Soghra, then al-Wusta, and then Jamrat al-Aqaba. SPA
Pilgrims on the first day of Tashreeq throw the three Jamarat, beginning with Jamarat al-Soghra, then al-Wusta, and then Jamrat al-Aqaba. SPA
Pilgrims on the first day of Tashreeq throw the three Jamarat, beginning with Jamarat al-Soghra, then al-Wusta, and then Jamrat al-Aqaba. SPA
Pilgrims on the first day of Tashreeq throw the three Jamarat, beginning with Jamarat al-Soghra, then al-Wusta, and then Jamrat al-Aqaba. SPA
Pilgrims on the first day of Tashreeq throw the three Jamarat, beginning with Jamarat al-Soghra, then al-Wusta, and then Jamrat al-Aqaba. SPA
Pilgrims walk to cast stones at a pillar in the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina, Saudi Arabia. AP Photo
Pilgrims walk to cast stones at a pillar in the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina, Saudi Arabia. AP Photo
Pilgrims walk before casting their stones. Reuters
Pilgrims walk before casting their stones. Reuters
Pilgrims cast their stones. Reuters
Pilgrims cast their stones. Reuters
Pilgrims cast their stones. Reuters
Pilgrims cast their stones. Reuters
Pilgrims cast their stones. Reuters
Pilgrims cast their stones. Reuters
Pilgrims walk to cast their stones. Reuters
Pilgrims walk to cast their stones. Reuters
Hajj pilgrims collect pebbles for the stoning of the devil ritual in Muzdalifa, Saudi Arabia. EPA
Hajj pilgrims collect pebbles for the stoning of the devil ritual in Muzdalifa, Saudi Arabia. EPA
Pilgrims collect pebbles. EPA
Pilgrims collect pebbles. EPA
Pilgrims cast stones. AP
Pilgrims cast stones. AP
Pilgrims cast stones. AP
Pilgrims cast stones. AP
Pilgrims gather atop Mount Arafat during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
Pilgrims gather atop Mount Arafat during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
Pilgrims pray as they gather at Mount Arafat. EPA
Pilgrims pray as they gather at Mount Arafat. EPA
Saudi Arabia this year is allowing one million Muslims, including some 850,000 from abroad, to make the annual Hajj pilgrimage for the first time in two years. EPA
Saudi Arabia this year is allowing one million Muslims, including some 850,000 from abroad, to make the annual Hajj pilgrimage for the first time in two years. EPA
A Saudi police helicopter patrols over Namira Mosque in Arafat. AP Photo
A Saudi police helicopter patrols over Namira Mosque in Arafat. AP Photo
Pilgrims gather on the plain of Arafat. Reuters
Pilgrims gather on the plain of Arafat. Reuters
Pilgrims arrive on the plains of Mount Arafat. EPA
Pilgrims arrive on the plains of Mount Arafat. EPA
Pilgrims climb Gebel Rahmah (Mount of Mercy) where the Prophet Mohammed gave his last sermon, as people congregate on the plains of Arafat. EPA
Pilgrims climb Gebel Rahmah (Mount of Mercy) where the Prophet Mohammed gave his last sermon, as people congregate on the plains of Arafat. EPA
Pilgrims gather atop Mount Arafat during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
Pilgrims gather atop Mount Arafat during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
A Muslim woman prays atop Mount Arafat. AFP
A Muslim woman prays atop Mount Arafat. AFP
Muslim pilgrims touch the pillar atop Mount Arafat. AFP
Muslim pilgrims touch the pillar atop Mount Arafat. AFP
Pilgrims gather to pray atop Mount Arafat. AFP
Pilgrims gather to pray atop Mount Arafat. AFP
Pilgrims walk towards the Namirah mosque near Mount Arafat. AFP
Pilgrims walk towards the Namirah mosque near Mount Arafat. AFP
Muslim pilgrims pray on the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy. AP Photo
Muslim pilgrims pray on the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy. AP Photo
Muslim pilgrims gather on Mount of Mercy. Reuters
Muslim pilgrims gather on Mount of Mercy. Reuters
Pilgrims pray on the Mountain of Mercy. AP
Pilgrims pray on the Mountain of Mercy. AP
Pilgrims gather on Mount of Mercy. Reuters
Pilgrims gather on Mount of Mercy. Reuters
Muslim pilgrims gather on Mount of Mercy. Reuters
Muslim pilgrims gather on Mount of Mercy. Reuters
Hajj pilgrims head to Mina for the day of Tarwiyah as temperatures hit 44ºC. SPA
Hajj pilgrims head to Mina for the day of Tarwiyah as temperatures hit 44ºC. SPA
Pilgrims pray at the Kaaba in Makkah's Grand Mosque on the eve of the first day of Hajj. SPA
Pilgrims pray at the Kaaba in Makkah's Grand Mosque on the eve of the first day of Hajj. SPA
Hajj pilgrims head to Mina for the day of Tarwiyah as temperatures hit 44ºC. SPA
Hajj pilgrims head to Mina for the day of Tarwiyah as temperatures hit 44ºC. SPA

The ministry opened registration for Hajj 2023 in January for pilgrims living in the kingdom, with the price of packages beginning at 3,984 riyals ($1,062).

The final instalment, which needed to be paid last month, is 40 per cent of the total amount pilgrims must pay for their chosen package.

The ministry opened registrations for international pilgrims in February, to give those who had performed Hajj more than five years ago another chance to apply for a permit.

Priority has been given to those who have never performed Hajj before. People in this category can apply until June 25, through the Nusuk app and the official website.

This year, the Nusuk programme for Hajj pilgrims was expanded to include more countries around the world.

Nusuk is a unified government portal that helps pilgrims to apply and pay online for electronic visas, accommodation, transport and book flights.

Read more

Saudi Arabia appoints women in senior positions at Grand Mosque and Prophet's Mosque

This year, Hajj will return to pre-pandemic numbers as the country will remove all Covid-19 restrictions. In 2019, before the pandemic, about 2.6 million people performed Hajj.

Kareem Shaheen on Canada
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7%E2%80%9D%20LPTO%20Amoled%2C%202412%20x%201080%2C%20394ppi%2C%20HDR10%2B%2C%20Corning%20Gorilla%20Glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Qualcomm%20Snapdragon%208%2B%20Gen%202%2C%20octa-core%3B%20Adreno%20730%20GPU%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F12GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256%2F512GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2013%2C%20Nothing%20OS%202%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%2050MP%20wide%2C%20f%2F1.9%20%2B%2050MP%20ultrawide%2C%20f%2F2.2%3B%20OIS%2C%20auto-focus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2030%2F60fps%2C%201080p%20%40%2030%2F60fps%3B%20live%20HDR%2C%20OIS%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2032MP%20wide%2C%20f%2F2.5%2C%20HDR%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Full-HD%20%40%2030fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204700mAh%3B%20full%20charge%20in%2055m%20w%2F%2045w%20charger%3B%20Qi%20wireless%2C%20dual%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Google%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fingerprint%2C%20face%20unlock%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP54%2C%20limited%20protection%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual-nano%20SIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dark%20grey%2C%20white%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nothing%20Phone%20(2)%2C%20USB-C-to-USB-C%20cable%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%20(UAE)%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh2%2C499%20(12GB%2F256GB)%20%2F%20Dh2%2C799%20(12GB%2F512GB)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Company profile

Company name: Suraasa

Started: 2018

Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker

Based: India, UAE and the UK

Industry: EdTech

Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding

NBA FINALS SO FAR

(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)

Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109

Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109

Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123

Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105

Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106

Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland

Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)

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Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

The specs

The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
 

Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

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The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo

Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm

Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Price: from Dh498,542

On sale: now

Ways to control drones

Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.

"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.

New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.

It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.

The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.

The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.

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The five pillars of Islam

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3. Hajj

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Updated: May 05, 2023, 7:20 AM`
Hajj 2025Saudi ArabiaEid Al Adha 2025