Saudi Arabia is receiving thousands of Hajj pilgrims on a daily basis, officials at Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport have said.
“Since Covid-19 numbers had been limited, this year feels like a lot but it is our honour to serve the pilgrims,” airport authorities told The National.
“Security measures have been heightened; there is no compromise on the safety of our pilgrims.”
About 2.6 million people are expected to perform the pilgrimage, which is set to start on June 26 this year.
Hajj terminal official Saad Alawi said preparations had been made before the arrival of pilgrims to ensure a smooth immigration process and allow them to pick up their bags quickly “so as not to delay their ongoing journey to Makkah, as most of them will perform Umrah”.
The pilgrims will then be guided to their assigned buses, he said.
Saudi Arabia revealed its largest operational plan for Hajj earlier this month as it listed details on measures put in place to ensure the safety and ease of pilgrims from around the world.
The plan has been set in motion, with about 22,000 people, including 8,000 volunteers, stationed across holy sites ahead of this year's Hajj season.
Jeddah airport authorities have put in place a team of customs and security officers, including women, to deal with the higher number of passengers arriving in the kingdom.
“Every year, it gets bigger and now that we have come out of the pandemic, we are ready and excited to host Hajj pilgrims in 2023,” Khalid Osamah, a Hajj operator in Jeddah, told The National.
Hajj operators take care of pilgrims' lodgings and manage their food and travel arrangements, once they arrive from the airport.
Mr Osamah said Jeddah airport authorities and security forces were doing a great job in receiving and transporting pilgrims to Makkah and Madinah.
On-the-ground transport geared for masses
The Bus Guidance Centre for Pilgrims in Makkah announced this week that it had so far arranged 4,412 buses to carry more than 248,000 pilgrims.
The centre will provide trained guides and small GPS-enabled tablets, said its director general Abdullah Sindi.
The tablets will track the arrival of pilgrims and their journey to Makkah, helping the centre to ensure that buses arrive on time.
The buses are part of an integrated system of services launched by the centre to serve the pilgrims.
“The operational plan for this year’s Hajj season is the largest in the history of the presidency, after the end of the corona[virus] pandemic and the announcement of the return of Hajj pilgrims in the millions,” said Dr Abdulrahman Al Sudais, head of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
Saudi security forces held preparatory meetings over two days this week to outline plans to efficiently manage the huge crowd expected this year.
Co-ordination plans were assessed to ensure the safety of the pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and ways to support them as they perform Hajj.
West Indies v India - Third ODI
India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)
India won by 93 runs
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
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Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
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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
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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
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- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
