Dozens of Saudi craftsmen, mostly in their 40s and 50s, are hard at work in a factory in Mecca preparing an embroidered black and gold cloth to cover the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam.
Known as the kiswa, the cloth is woven from silk and cotton and adorned with verses from the Quran.
A new one is made each year to be placed on the Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque during the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage, which begins on Wednesday.
Many of the craftsmen have worked in the factory in the Oum Al Jood district of Mecca all their lives but they will retire soon, as a new generation is being trained to carry on the trade.
King Salman had ordered all the machines - introduced some 30 years ago to help automate the process - to be replaced with newer ones by next year, said general manager Mohammed bin Abdullah Bajuda.
"He also called for a new cadre of manufacturers to take the place of the current one," Mr Bajuda said during a visit to the factory on Saturday.
The kiswa is one of the most important ornaments in the House of God, and its production is made by some of the greatest calligraphers and artists in the Muslim world.
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A cube-shaped stone structure, the Kaaba is a focal point of the Hajj, during which some two million pilgrims walk around it in a mass ritual.
The Kaaba's black stone was revered even before the birth of Islam. Muslims believe it was originally built by the prophet Ibrahim, the Biblical Abraham, on the site of the first house of worship built by Adam. It has since been rebuilt more than once.
The kiswa was manufactured in Egypt until 1962. There have been red, green or white coverings in centuries past, but now it is always black with embroidered gold calligraphy.
Made from silk with verses from the Quran stitched in gold thread, there is always an excerpt on Hajj, and other verses from various different parts of the Quran.
Nearly 670 kilogrammes of silk, enough to cover a structure estimated to measure about 15 metres high and 10 to 12 metres long, is imported from Italy. Silver and gold-plated thread comes from Germany.
But the kiswa is embroidered and stitched together in Saudi Arabia and paid for by the kingdom each year at a cost of US$6 million (Dh22.04m).
Asked about that expenditure at a time of austerity in the kingdom, Mr Bajuda said: "This glorifies the house of God. The Kaaba more than deserves this honour."
Waleed Al Juhani has worked at the factory, which opened in 1977, for 17 years.
"Thanks to God we are working to serve the holy Kaaba. This is a great blessing," he said, while embroidering a Quranic verse that takes 60 days to complete.
"When we succeed in our work, we are glad that Muslims will celebrate a new cover for the Kaaba. This is the best feeling."
At the end of Hajj, the used cloth will be cut into pieces to be distributed to dignitaries and religious organisations. Recipients regard the fragments as heirlooms.
The cover is usually changed on the morning of the Day of Arafat and has been part of the ritual for hundreds of years.
This year's kiswa is complete, but the workers are already startinng on the next one.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the prestigious peace prize, held its final meeting on Monday, the Nobel Institute said Thursday, a day ahead of the announcement of the 2025 laureate.
This means a decision was made about the laureate or laureates before the conclusion of an agreement between Israel and Hamas, which included a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
President Donald Trump pushed for the ceasefire as part of a 20-point plan to resolve the Gaza war.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the prestigious peace prize, held its final meeting on Monday, the Nobel Institute said Thursday, a day ahead of the announcement of the 2025 laureate.
This means a decision was made about the laureate or laureates before the conclusion of an agreement between Israel and Hamas, which included a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
President Donald Trump pushed for the ceasefire as part of a 20-point plan to resolve the Gaza war.
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France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
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Al Watan newspaper
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UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
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Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
