MADINAH — Foreign pilgrims will be fingerprinted in their homes before departing for the Kingdom, said Minister of Haj Bandr Al-Hajjar in a statement to the Al-Watan newspaper. Al-Hajjar said that fingerprinting is part of the Haj system and that foreign pilgrims will be informed about the new system before they leave their home countries. He added t
Pilgrims to be fingerprinted in their homes
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Malaysian Company to operate Mashaer train
MAKKAH — The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs announced on Thursday that it has signed a contract with a Malaysian company to operate and maintain the Mashaer train which will operate between Makkah and the Holy Sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa. Habib Zainul Abdeen, the ministry’s undersecretary, did not reveal the name of the company
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More than 11,400 illegal Yemenis correct status
JEDDAH — Some 11,455 illegal Yemenis have corrected their Saudi residence statuses since the beginning of the correction campaign on May 10. The campaign will continue in all regions until July 7 and is open to Yemenis who have been in the Kingdom since before April 9. Yemeni consulates in various parts of the Kingdom have so far issued more tha
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King to host 1,000 Umrah pilgrims every year
RIYADH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman will host 1,000 Umrah pilgrims from across the world every year. This was announced by Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawa and Guidance Sheikh Saleh bin Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh. He added that his ministry will supervise the program. The king also hosts a number of Haj pilgrims each year.
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Why do drivers in Saudi Arabia honk their horns unnecessarily?
Samar Al-Miqrin
Al Jazirah
One may be able to put up with the sound of a honking horn in any place, save near a hospital. Unfortunately, many drivers honk horns near hospitals in complete disregard of the needs of patients for quiet.
Ten years ago, the honking of horns was not as frequent as it is today. Drivers used to be
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Who will take care of Saudi students abroad?
Nahid Bashatah
Al Jazirah
It is sad that some educational institutions play a role, even though it is of an indirect and secondary nature, in promoting crimes such as terrorism. This is a reality and the authorities must deal with it. As an overseas student, I am not talking about curricula or male and female teachers, but rather the larg
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When will the traffic chaos in Makkah ever end?
Samir Ali Khairi
Makkah Online
How long will the roads and streets of Makkah continue to experience such high levels of traffic chaos? The streets are packed with vehicles and full of traffic jams, especially during the rush hour. It is annoying seeing people drive recklessly when behind the wheel. I have received many comments from reade
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Neighbors yet strangers
Saudi Gazette report Respecting one’s neighbors and looking after their rights is emphasized in Islam. The Arabic adage “one’s neighbor before one’s self” (al-jar qabl al-dar) is no longer widely practiced as it used to be. Modernity and the fast city life have changed what used to be the norm in the past, Al-Riyadh
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Help! There is a teenage girl in our house!
Saudi Gazette report The onset of adolescence and the subsequent dramatic behavioral changes are often enough to drive parents of teenagers crazy. Mood swings among teenagers can lead them to distance themselves from others, become depressed and even have suicidal thoughts. Al-Riyadh daily spoke to several Saudi mothers who are frustrated and st
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Number of smokers in the Kingdom on the rise, claims new study
Saudi Gazette report A recent World Health Organization (WHO) study revealed that there are six million smokers in the Kingdom. The study estimated this number to jump to ten million by 2020, Al-Riyadh daily reported. Around 12 billion cigarettes are smoked every year in the Kingdom, making it the fourth largest country in the world in terms of
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Two killed in Houthi shell attacks in Asir, Jazan
ABHA — One Saudi citizen and a child were killed and six others, including two expatriates, were injured in separate mortar shell attacks in the southern Asir and Jazan regions by Houthi rebels on Thursday evening and Friday. Col. Muhammad Al-Asimi, spokesman of the Civil Defense Directorate in Asir region, said
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Students warned against joyriding
JEDDAH — Maj. Gen. Wasalallah Al-Harbi, director of the Traffic Department in Jeddah region, warned students that joyriding during the upcoming exam period will be dealt with sternly. “Those who engage in stunt driving will be booked and tried immediately after the end of final exams which will begin on Sunday. The department
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Abha: Nomination of Arab Tourism Capital lauded
ABHA - Abdul Rahman Al-Dawood, president of King Khaled University of Abha, commended the decision of the Arab Tourism Organization (ATO) to nominate Abha as the Arab Tourism Capital for the year 2017. “This recognition elevates the position of Asir region in general and Abha in particular in the Kingdom’s tourism map, and ne
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428 security cadets graduate in Madinah
MADINAH — As many as 428 cadets graduated on Thursday in various disciplines from the Public Security Training City in Madinah. Maj. Gen. Abdul Hadi Al-Shahrani, director of police in Madinah region, Col. Ahmad Al-Johani, commander of the city, and several other senior officials attended the graduation ceremony. The trainees gradua
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Haj Ministry gears up to receive pilgrims
MADINAH — Minister of Haj Badar Hajjar said his ministry has completed preparations to receive Umrah pilgrims during the holy month of Ramadan. He said that the ongoing largest ever expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah will increase the capacity of the holy mosques tremendously. Hajjar s
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Philanthropist donates SR1 billion to IDB to establish 75 clinics
JEDDAH — The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) signed on Thursday an agreement with the government of Pakistan to establish 15 mobile medical clinics in remote rural regions of the country. IDB will build the clinics by using a part of the SR1 billion donated by a Saudi philanthropist to establish primary healthcare clinics in rural a
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Stark reality of schools: Female students’ dashed ambitions
Saudi Gazette report That state of school buildings plays an important role in the overall education of a student as good facilities appear to be an important precondition for learning. Buildings are places where students learn basic skills and other
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Recruitment companies and exploitation
Khalid Al-Bawardi
Al-Jazirah
Three years ago, the Ministry of Labor approved a decision to set up recruitment companies to serve the private and public sectors. The idea was to regulate the market for expatriate labor. It was a pivotal decision that had a gr
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University of Taif projects halted because workers have not been paid
Saeed Al-Suraihi
Okaz
Construction projects at the University of Taif have been experiencing problems that have slowed down their implementation. I am talking about all of the projects: the faculty members’ housing, the school of education buildi
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Holes that swallow people in the Kingdom’s cities
Sharifa Al-Shamlan
Al- Riyadh
What is happening these days in our country is unacceptable. Why has the number of people who have died as a result of falling into manholes increased, especially in Jeddah? Why are our children dying like this?&nbs
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