MINA: Tragedy struck Mina on Thursday morning when more than 310 pilgrims died in a stampede on the way to the Jamrat complex. Saudi Civil Defense forces said more than 450 were injured. The exact cause of the accident could not be determined easily. Many of the injured were in semiconscious state

MINA: Enemies of Islam are plotting to destroy the Islamic nation, warned Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh during his annual Arafat Day sermon on Wednesday. “Some of them are non-Muslims while others want to exploit Islam posing as Muslims, falsely raising the slogans of defending the Islami

MINA: Two million Muslims from around the world arrived in the Mina valley outside the holy city of Makkah. They came by bus, car or on foot to camp in the tent city for Yaum Al-Tarwiya on Tuesday’s first leg of the annual Haj pilgrimage. The weather conditions were particularly harsh in the day bu

MINA: Mina, which comes to life only once a year in Haj, is in fact a small city. As far as the eye can see, tents cover every open space. They are neatly arranged, row after row. In the sea of white, the historic Al-Khaif Mosque stands out with its brick-red minarets. The mosque is the center of

RIYADH: Fuad Omar bin Ali bin Al-Sheikh Abu Baker, minister of endowments and religious guidance in Yemen, has announced that a number of Yemeni pilgrims have now reached Makkah safely thanks to the extensive efforts of the Saudi authorities. These efforts have helped them to overcome any and all ob

MINA: Muslims performing Haj, the annual pilgrimage, will retrace the steps of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who performed the ritual more than 1400 years ago. This year, the Haj officially starts on Monday, Sept. 22, the eighth day of Dul Hijjah. Nearly two million pilgrims from around the

RIYADH: An estimated 50,000 animals are expected to be slaughtered in the capital as part of the Eid Al-Adha sacrificial rites on Thursday. There are about seven slaughterhouses in various localities of the city. Riyadh municipality said these places are ready to receive sacrificial animals during

JEDDAH: The capacity of electricity plants at the holy sites now stands at 18,680MW, according to the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). Ziyad bin Mohammad Al-Sheiha, chief executive officer of the SEC, said that various upgrades and distribution projects have been completed to meet the expected incr

The Kingdom has denounced violations by Israeli forces of Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, which has seen days of clashes between Israeli police and stone-throwing Palestinians. The Saudi Press Agency quoted an official source describing the Israeli actions as an “aggression” which w

Dubai: Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum died of heart attack on Saturday. He was 34. Funeral prayers will be held after Maghrib prayers at Zabeel Mosque. A three-day mourning period has been declared in Dubai. UAE flags will be flown at half mast during the mourning period. “We be

JEDDAH: Relatives of the four Bangladeshis killed during last month’s suicide bomb attack in the Kingdom, are to perform Haj this year as guests of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The Bangladeshis were killed during an attack by terrorists on a mosque used by members of the Special E

Saudi Arabia denounced on Thursday what it called violations by Israeli forces of Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites, which has seen days of clashes between Israeli police and stone-throwing Palestinians. The state Saudi Press Agency quoted an official source describing the

Saudi Civil Defence teams evacuated  1,028 Asian pilgrims from an eight-floor hotel in Al Azizyiah neighbourhood in Makkah, after a fire broke out in a room, in the early hours of Wednesday. Media spokesman for the civil defence forces in Hajj, Colonel Abdullah Al Orabi Al Harthy was quoted by th

JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Tuesday ordered that top officials of the Saudi Binladin Group be banned from traveling outside the kingdom after probers pinned the blame partially on the construction company for Friday’s deadly crane crash in Makkah. A royal court announ

Saudi Arabia's King Salman sanctioned the powerful Saudi Binladin Group Tuesday over the collapse of a construction crane at Makkah's Grand Mosque, which killed more than 100 people days before the Haj pilgrimage. An investigative commission had concluded that the company "was in part responsible

JEDDAH: Insurance firms may have to pay out about SR33 million in blood money to the families of the 111 people who died in Friday’s crane collapse at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, say experts. This amounts to about SR300,000 per person, which is the mandatory coverage that all contractors working on

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud will receive the final report on the investigation into the crane crash tragedy at the Grand Mosque that occurred on Friday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The report was referred to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, deputy premier and minister of

Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that Eid al-Adha, one of two important religious holidays observed by Muslims around the world, will start on Thursday, September 24, a day earlier than expected, Al Arabiya News Channel reported on Sunday. The announcement was made after the kingdom’s official mo