Hajj and Umrah News - South Africa

23 Aug 2018

Hajj season epidemic-free, says health minister

JEDDAH: The current Hajj season has been epidemic-free after a large-scale program of health screening and vaccination of pilgrims was carried out, said Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah. He revealed that 1.6 million pilgrims were medically screened at entry points. A further 360,000 Saudi pilgrims were vaccinated against polio and 480,000 Saudi pilgrims were vaccinated

Read more

23 Aug 2018

Eye on the Hajj: Mystery lensman who took first photos of Makkah

JEDDAH: Little is known about Abdul Ghaffar, the first photographer to capture images of Makkah, yet his evocative portraits of the Hajj season stand as a fitting tribute almost 130 years later. Ghaffar recorded his experiences in Makkah between 1884-1885 in diaries and correspondences with his mentor, the Dutch scholar Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje. When they met in Makkah,

Read more

23 Aug 2018

Hajj homecomings and pilgrims’ gifts, past and the present

MINA: Since ancient times, there have been customs and traditions associated with Hajj, not least the joyous celebrations to welcome pilgrims home from their spiritual retreat and, of course, the gifts pilgrims bring back for relatives and neighbors. As larger numbers of people from the world began to participate in the Hajj, the customs spread to all pilgrims, not only Arabs.

Read more

23 Aug 2018

Makkah governor thanks everyone who helped make Hajj 2018 a success

JEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal thanked King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Interior Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif for supervising this year’s Hajj season. During the concluding press conference for this year’s Hajj, which was held in Mina on Thursday, Prince Khaled also thanked the media who covered the season, as well as those who

Read more

22 Aug 2018

Indian woman pilgrim airlifted on Arafat Day

When the medical team told her that the expense for the airlifting would be met by the Saudi government, she was so happy and wept for joy, according to a report, carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

Read more