Pilgrims wearing face masks arrived at Mount Arafat on Thursday to pray and repent near Islam’s holiest site on the most important day of Hajj.
After the fajr prayer in Mina, pilgrims made the journey to the 70-metre desert hill where the Prophet Mohammed gave his last sermon.
Standing and praying on Mount Arafat is considered the peak of the pilgrimage.
Ammar Khalid, 29, an Indian who lives in Jeddah, told The National at the Namira Mosque in Arafat that he was short of words to describe the experience.
"I'm happy," Mr Khalid said. "I'm blessed. At the same time, there is a lot of responsibility to pray for everyone.
"It is usually really hard to get into the mosque, even to have a glance, when it is normal Hajj.
"This year, it is a blessing that we managed to get inside, alhamdulillah.”
The coronavirus pandemic made this year's pilgrimage unlike any before.
Last year, Hajj drew 2.5 million Muslims from across the world to Mount Arafat.
Only a limited number of pilgrims were allowed to take part this year, with restrictions in place to limit the potential spread of the virus.
Earlier, the Saudi government said 1,000 pilgrims would be allowed to take part.
All of this year’s pilgrims are residents or citizens of Saudi Arabia. Priority has been given to front-line health workers battling Covid-19.
In past years, a sea of pilgrims dressed in white terry cloth garments would start to gather at Mount Arafat, also known as the hill of mercy, before dawn and remain there until nightfall, spending the day in deep contemplation and worship.
It is common to see pilgrims with tears streaming down their faces, their hands raised in worship on the slopes of the rocky hill where the Prophet Mohammed called for equality and unity among Muslims.
Pilgrim Atta, her voice shaking, said: “I feel it is a blessing for me from Allah to be here.”
The pilgrims arrived at Mount Arafat before noon by bus on Thursday. They travelled in groups of 20, following strict social-distancing guidelines.
They had undergone tests for Covid-19 and were in quarantine before Hajj.
Unlike in past years, pilgrims were not allowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with other Muslims from around the world, all considered equal in Islam before God, seeking mercy, blessings, good health, bounty and healing.
They wore wristbands provided by the Saudi Health Ministry, which are connected to their phones and monitor their movements to ensure physical distancing.
As Hajj entered its second day, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said no coronavirus cases were found among pilgrims, medical workers or support staff at the holy sites.
Six hospitals, 51 clinics, 200 ambulances and 62 medical teams were on hand to help with any needs.
"My dear audience, life in this world does not remain free of difficulty, and this is why God, the most exalted, instructed us to persevere," said Thursday's sermon on Mount Arafat.
“[God] said, ‘And we shall certainly test you with instances of fear and hunger, as well as loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; however, messenger of God, you are to convey glad tidings to those who patiently persevere'.”
Descending from Mount Arafat, pilgrims made their way to Muzdalifah, to the south of Mina, to pray and collect pebbles to perform the last steps of Hajj.
It is recommended to collect 70 pebbles, ready for the stoning of Jamrat Al Aqabah, representing the Devil, which was set to take place after midnight.
This year, however, the pebbles have been disinfected and packaged.
The last ritual takes place over three to four days in Mina, east of Makkah.
The last days of Hajj coincide with Eid Al Adha, or the festival of sacrifice, celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
On Thursday, the UAE’s leaders wished its people and everyone in the Arab world a happy and blessed Eid Al Adha.
President Sheikh Khalifa, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, offered their best wishes.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
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Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Arsenal v Manchester City,
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