Qadri brush asides halting hajj operation rumours
Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sahibzada Noor-ul-Haq Qadri on Tuesday strongly denied the rumours of halting hajj operations this year. In a statement, he said there is no truth in rumours viral on social media about hajj operation.
Read article
Coronavirus: No decision yet on this year's hajj, says Saudi ambassador
The Saudi Arabian government says it has not decided whether the 2020 hajj will hold or not. Abdullah Ahmad Al Abdan, Saudi ambassador to Senegal, disclosed this during a press conference.
Read article
Egypt redirects funds for free Hajj to aid irregular workers affected by coronavirus
Egypt's Ministry of Endowment said on Monday that it has decided to cancel Hajj (greater pilgrimage) trips that it usually grants its ideal employees every year and redirect the funds to assist Egyptians affected by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read article
Walking areas shut in Mecca over coronavirus
Authorities in Mecca have closed down walking areas in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Okaz newspaper reported. The city’s municipality said the measure is temporary and part of preventive measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.
Read article
Hyatt unveils plan to open Makkah luxury hotel in 2025
The Hyatt Hotels Corporation has recently announced that an affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Umm Alqura for the upcoming construction of a Grand Hyatt branded hotel in the holy city of Makkah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Read article
Makkah hotels could be used as isolation units in virus fight
JEDDAH: Seven high-end hotels have been offered to Saudi health authorities for possible use as isolation areas for people infected by the novel coronavirus.
Read article
Haramain prayer rugs removed
Prayer rugs spread in the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah have been taken away from the respective premises as a precautionary measure.
Read article
MARA urges hajj contractors not to receive payments
Muscat, The ministry stated that pilgrims should not make any payment to companies unless they are notified of this via the electronic system.
Read article
Prayers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound suspended over virus
All Muslim prayers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound will be suspended from Monday until further notice in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus, religious officials said on Sunday.
Read article
Dr. Thamer Ahmad Baazeem, media chief at the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah
Dr. Thamer Ahmad Baazeem has been the chief communications and media officer at the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah since February this year. He earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2006 from King Abdul Aziz University (KAU) in Jeddah and between 2007 and 2015 obtained a master’s degree and Ph.D.
Read article
NAHCON hopeful on hajj 2020 despite coronavirus – Daily Trust
The chairman and Chief Executive Officer, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Olakunle Hassan, says the commission is optimistic that the 2020 hajj exercise will hold.
Read article
Umrah returnees must self-isolate for 14 days: Egypt's Health Ministry
The Egyptian Health Ministry on Friday urged Umrah pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia to self-isolate at home for 14 days, following an anti-coronavirus preventive plan by the health ministry and the World Health Organization's (WHO) supervision.
Read article