Saudi Arabia's Minister for the Hajj has told pilgrims to stay in their tents between 10am and 4pm on Thursday, warning of heat exhaustion when thousands scale a sacred hill on the outskirts of Makkah for the Day of Arafat.
Temperatures are hovering around 40°C as more than a million people converge on the holy city for the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia has increased efforts to ensure a safe event in the summer heat. Strict penalties have been enforced against illegal visitors to Makkah to prevent overcrowding.
Hajj Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah warned worshippers to use the transport provided to Mount Arafat rather than walking, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. He said random trips on foot "pose a significant threat to the flow of crowds and the safety of pilgrims".
The Day of Arafat traditionally marks the high point of the Hajj, when pilgrims assemble on the hill and its surrounding plain for hours of prayer and Quran recital. Mount Arafat is where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon. There is little to no shade on the 70-metre-high hill, leaving pilgrims exposed to the desert sun.
Saudi authorities said last year that 1,300 people died during the Hajj as temperatures reached 50°C. Many of the dead were unregistered pilgrims who lacked access to air-conditioned tents and buses.
This year more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials have been mobilised to ensure safety. Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry has warned that anyone attempting to perform the pilgrimage without a permit will face a fine of up to 20,000 riyals ($5,300). Those helping illegal pilgrims to travel to Makkah face even higher fines. Foreigners who breach the rules could be barred from entering Saudi Arabia for 10 years.
Artificial intelligence is also being used by authorities to monitor data and video, with a new fleet of drones in the skies above Makkah to help manage the crowds.
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is mandatory for Muslims able to do so to perform the pilgrimage once in their lives. As of Sunday, more than 1.4 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for this year's rituals, officials said.
On Wednesday, robed pilgrims will perform the tawaf - walking seven times around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure at the centre of Makkah's Grand Mosque that is Islam's holiest site.
Before entering Makkah, pilgrims must first enter a state of purity, called ihram, which requires special dress and behaviour. Men wear a seamless shroud-like white garment that emphasises unity among believers, regardless of their social status or nationality. Women wear loose dresses, also white, exposing just their face and hands.
For many Muslims, completing the Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "I am so happy, it's such an amazing feeling," Reem Al Shogre, a 35-year-old Saudi national performing the pilgrimage for the first time, told AFP.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Results:
5pm: Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Tahoonah, Richard Mullen (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m | Winner: Ajwad, Gerald Avranche, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: Duc De Faust, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m | Winner: Shareef KB, Fabrice Veron, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,500m | Winner: Bainoona, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
