Every year, the Saudi government dedicates a specific number of visas to each country around the world for Muslims to fulfil their obligatory Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam.
In 2023, Hajj will return to pre-pandemic numbers as Saudi Arabia removes all Covid-19 restrictions, however, Muslims in the Mena region are still struggling as they grapple with soaring inflation rates and economic hardship.
Hajj prices have risen astronomically for Egyptians, as they contend with record-high inflation and a 50 per cent drop in the value of the Egyptian pound since last year.
Some of my relatives have sold some of their belongings to be able to afford it
Nouran Ahmed,
46
Prices for economy and luxury Hajj packages for Egyptians have risen by 30 per cent to 40 per cent, with the cheapest package costing about 125,000 Egyptian pounds ($4,000) this year, compared with 95,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,000) last year.
Some luxury packages for the 2023 pilgrimage cost as much as 1.5 million Egyptian pounds.
As most of the fees paid by Egyptian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia are in riyals, the depreciation in the value of the Egyptian pound over the past year has made the pilgrimage much more costly.
Plane tickets from Cairo to Jeddah or Madinah are expected to keep rising as the date of the Hajj approaches.
This year the Hajj season begins on June 25.
Increased demand
Egypt’s Hajj committee, the government body that oversees the pilgrimages each year, anticipated that plane tickets would cost about 45,000 Egyptian pounds by mid-June, 15,000 more than a round-trip to New York.
The increase in ticket prices was attributed to the increased demand for Hajj this year, following three years of Covid-related slumps in pilgrimages and the weak performance of the Egyptian pound.
Despite the economic woes, many Egyptians are still adamant to attend. However as millions continue to face price increases on basic goods and services, others are saving money by not attending.
“I have been to Hajj multiple times before so I won’t be going this year because my family, like everyone in our community, is in money-saving mode,” Nouran Ahmed, 46, told The National.”
“But there are a lot of people I know who are going this year. It’s a little surprising because some of my relatives have sold some of their belongings to be able to afford it.”
Applications for assistance
Entrants to the government-run raffles offering Hajj packages at below-market prices doubled in comparison with 2022 entries.
For some, it is the only chance they will have to attend.
“They think that next year, it will only get more expensive and so they want to do it while they can. I also think when people go through hard times and are worried, they want to get closer to God and ask him for help,” Ms Ahmed said.
Last year, the Egyptian government issued 9,200 discounted packages to pilgrims through the three ministries, with 16,000 offered this year.
One raffle organised by the tourism ministry offered packages between 130,000 and 310,000 Egyptian pounds, depending on the proximity of accommodation to the Grand Mosque.
Two other raffles, organised by government ministries, offered rates of about 150,000.
Hajj pilgrimage difficult dream to realise for Jordanians
Every year, retired Jordanian businessman Mohammad Al Kaseh unsuccessfully applies to go to Hajj.
“I am always unlucky, although I fulfil the age requirements,” says Mr Al Kaseh referring to the 63-year-old age minimum set by the Jordanian authorities.
Jordan, a country of 10 million who are mostly Muslim, has a quota of 8,000 pilgrims set by Saudi Arabia, indicating how little chance ordinary people have to fulfil what is a religious duty for every Muslim.
Economic pressures in Jordan have also added to the difficulties of performing Hajj.
The minimum cost of attending from Jordan is $4,500, which is more than what many people in the country make in a year.
“It is mandatory but at the same time God will not punish you if circumstances beyond your control prevent you performing the Hajj,” Mr Al Kaseh said.
“The world is becoming so complicated. When my father and grandfather used to go to Hajj no one had heard of quotas. They just went.”
Two agency staff are assigned to every 35 pilgrims, says Abu Khaled, manager at a Hajj agency with branches in Amman, and the cities of Ajlun and Ramtha in northern Jordan.
Although this year is the first Hajj season since coronavirus restrictions, Abu Khaled said some of his clients have passed on their turn to someone else with more money.
“It is a convoluted process but it can be done,” he says. “The economic conditions are biting this year.”
Vaccination hold-ups in Iraq
About 37,000 Iraqis will perform Hajj this year, according to the Iraq government’s Hajj and Umrah Commission which oversees the process.
Zainab Radhi, who was supposed to perform Hajj in 2021, is still waiting to get the seasonal flu and meningococcal meningitis vaccinations.
Saudi Arabia's Hajj and Umrah Commission has stressed that Hajj pilgrims must be vaccinated against Covid-19, seasonal flu, meningococcal meningitis, yellow fever and polio.
“We are still waiting and no one is telling us when and where we can get these vaccines,” the 40-year-old English teacher told The National.
Iraq's Hajj and Umrah Commission has said that this Hajj season will present “significant challenges”.
“The foremost being the presence of a large number of elderly among the pilgrims due to the suspension of Hajj for two years because of coronavirus and deprivation of the elderly from performing Hajj last year,” the commission’s head, Sheikh Sami Al Masoudi, said last week.
This year, the Iraqi Commission has offered two Hajj packages.
Those who plan to travel by plane will pay about 5.65 million Iraqi dinars ($3,800), while those travelling by land will pay about a million dinars less.
The pilgrim pays the package directly to the commission, which arranges all transport and accommodation in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
The commission then divides the pilgrims into groups and assigns each group to a Hajj contractor and a religious guide to administer the process.
“We finish the paperwork for them, including the visa, and organise training courses for them in Iraq and Saudi Arabia on the Hajj rituals,” Abdul Salam Al Ani, founder and chief executive of Baghdad-based Zad Al Kheir Hajj travel agency told The National.
Zainab Radhi is eagerly preparing for the sacred journey to Makkah.
She is determined to fulfil her lifelong dream of undertaking this religious obligation.
“Hajj is a lifelong aspiration for me,” the mother of two said with a smile.
“This alone provides me tranquillity and physiological comfort after I have spent years preparing and waiting for this moment, both mentally and spiritually.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
Price: From Dh122,900
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
Draw
Quarter-finals
Real Madrid (ESP) or Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) or Lyon (FRA)
RB Leipzig (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Barcelona (ESP) or Napoli (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER) or Chelsea (ENG)
Atalanta (ITA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Ties to be played August 12-15 in Lisbon
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
