Ahmed Al-Lihayani
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
MAKKAH — The rents in five-star hotels in the central area around the Grand Mosque in Makkah have gone up as far as SR70,000 for the Haj period, according to hoteliers in the holy city.
They said the rent
Hotels jack up rents as Haj season peaks
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Probe sought into abuse of Saudi family at Turkish airport
Saudi Gazette report
DAMMAM — The Saudi Embassy in Turkey has called for a thorough investigation into reports that a Saudi family was beaten up and abused at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul last week, Al-Hayat daily reported.
The Saudi Embassy
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Mataf expansion work to complete within 10 days
MAKKAH – As many as 14,000 workers are racing against time round the clock to complete the third and final phase of the expansion of mataf (area for circumambulation around the Holy Kaaba) before the start of the annual pilgrimage of Haj, which is expected to begin on Sept. 21.&nbs
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No squatters in Prophet’s Mosque: Haj Ministry
Sami Al-Mighmasi Okaz/Saudi Gazette MADINAH — Squatting in the Prophet’s Mosque is a rare phenomenon and an isolated act usually by local pilgrims and visitors who wait for the prayer inside the mosque, according to the Ministry of Haj.
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Convicted murderer executed
HAFR AL-BATIN — A convicted murderer was executed in the Kingdom on Thursday, the Interior Ministry announced. Saudi citizen Mashari Al-Shammari was found guilty of killing fellow tribesman Sufouq Al-Shammari in a frenzied attack with a gun, a dagger and a stick, the ministry said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. He was put to death
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11 gas stations on Hijra Road closed
MADINAH — The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs has closed down 11 gas stations on Hijra Road linking Madinah, Makkah and Jeddah for substandard services. The ministry also warned nine other gas stations to correct their situation before the end of October or face closure. The Council of Ministers had given a two-year grace period to owners of
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Illiteracy rate drops to 3.21%
RIYADH — Illiteracy rate in Saudi Arabia has dropped to 3.21 percent in 2014 from more than 60 percent in 1972. This was announced by Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al-Barrak, undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, who also said the Kingdom will join the world in the celebrations of the International Literacy Day on Sunday. He said the Kingdom is de
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46 Saudi women joined Daesh in Syria
RIYADH — As many as 46 Saudi women, some of them with their children, have joined Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State) in Syria since 2011, Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Thursday, quoting the official spokesman of the Interior Ministry. Maj.Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said a total of 1,375 people, suspected of being Daesh members, are currently under
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We are all responsible for keeping our cities clean
Ruqaya Al-Huwairni
Al-Jazirah
I believe that many residents of Riyadh know the Riyadh Municipality toll-free number (940) which they can call around the clock to report problems, file complaints and make suggestions pertaining to municipal services. Anything reported to this number is conveyed to the department in charge. Then the concern
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Migratory game: Conservationists appalled at scale of killings
Saudi Gazette report Every year starting early August migratory birds can be seen in the Kingdom’s skies until mid-September. In recent years, the Illegal hunting of these migratory birds has increased to alarming levels. Unable to put an end to the phenomenon and hold hunters accountable for their actions, the Saudi Wildlif
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How accurate are our economic statistics?
Rashed Al-Fawzan
Al-Riyadh
Accurate statistics reflect the truth. Our main problem is we do not have them. I am not saying we should have 100 percent accurate figures but at least there should be 90-95 percent accuracy. Let us look at the issue of unemployment. I have not so far found an accurate figure showing the rate of unemployment am
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Will Saudi recruitment problems ever end?
Bassam Fatini
Al-Watan
It seems that the Ministry of Labor has not fully realized the danger of having so many recruitment problems and issues unresolved. Matters are getting out of hand and the officials in charge of recruitment appear to be oblivious or unaware of the size of the problem.
I recently visited some relatives
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Anti-terrorism campaign launched
BURAIDAH — Emir of Qassim Prince Faisal Bin Mishal has launched a campaign called “Together against terrorism and deviant thought,” which is aimed at protecting young Saudi men and women against falling prey to terrorist organizations and preachers of deviant ideology. Prince Faisal asked all citizens to join the campaign within the Kingd
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Smoking shisha: A leisure activity that leads to addiction
Saudi Gazette report Hookah smokers commonly believe it is less harmful than smoking cigarettes. However, many studies have shown that smoking hookah, or shisha as it is known in Arab countries, for an hour releases four times PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and 30 times the carbon monoxide, the main cause of coronary artery blockage, th
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Abduct, assault & ostracize
Saudi Gazette report Kidnap and sexual assault victims spend years overcoming the trauma of such ordeals but in the Kingdom, victims often face social ostracism from a society that shows no mercy to victims or their families. Although society has opened up and becoming more accepting of other cultures, victim-blaming attitudes con
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EgyptAir plane in emergency landing
MADINAH — An EgyptAir plane bound for Riyadh made an emergency landing at Prince Muhammad International Airport in Madinah following technical glitch Thursday afternoon, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Ibrahim Al-Kashi, director general of the Aviation Investigation Office, said the pilot sought permission for emergency land
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Bellucci Circus to run until after Eid
JEDDAH — Yielding to popular demand for a second time, the organizers have decided to extended performances of the Italian Bellucci Circus in Jeddah until after Eid Al-Adha.
Mohammed Redwan, site manager at the circus, said the circus will continue to perform in the city until the middle of September with special offers.
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Pilgrim dies, 25 hurt in bus accident
MADINAH — An Asian Haj pilgrim was killed and 25 others injured in an accident involving three buses on Hijrah Road early Friday morning, Al-Madinah daily reported.
Khaled Al-Sahli, spokesman for the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Madinah, said the command center received information about the accident at 3.56 a.m. and
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Cooking gas ban in holy sites to stay
RIYADH — Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, has issued orders to continue the ban on using cooking gas at the holy sites during this year’s Haj.
The crown prince, who is also chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, has directed the concerned authorities to strictly enforce the instru
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Kiswa handover on Sept. 14
MAKKAH — Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, will hand over the kiswa (covering of the Holy Kaaba) to the senior keeper of the holy house on Sept. 14 (Dhul Hijjah 1).
The annual ceremony will be held at the kiswa factory in Umm Al-Joud district of Makkah, the Saudi Pre
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