Mosques have a special place in the hearts of Muslims, especially in the holy month of Ramadan. They spend more time in them than at any other time during the year.
Ukash Mosque is well known not only in Saudi Arabia, but also in the Muslim world. It was built in 1784. It is the second oldest mosque in Jeddah’s modern history. The oldest is the Uthman bin Affan mosque.
It is located downtown surrounded by two marketplaces.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Shanqeeti is the 60-year-old imam of the mosque and has fulfilled the duties of this post for 35 years.
He told Arab News that the mosque was built during Ottoman rule, with the official deed issued two years after construction. It was also registered at the Turkish Ministry of Awqaf (endowments) and Muslim Affairs.
The mosque was built by Ukash Abazah, a Turkish citizen who was born and lived in Jeddah. Now the Hazazi family is in charge of running the mosque and providing all the necessary services. They are well known in Jeddah and are considered the heirs of the mosque’s estate. The mosque is officially regulated by the Saudi Ministry of Muslim Affairs and Awqaf.
In the old days, it used to be the sea gate of Jeddah because it is near the entry to the port. Visitors and official guests of the state arriving at the port would pray at the mosque.
He said that the mosque was completely renovated six years ago, using state-of-the-art designs based on Islamic architectural patterns.
It can accommodate more than 1,200 worshippers. There is a special section for women. It also has an extensive library of Muslim books.
Many members of the Saudi royal family prayed in the mosque at various times. The scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi prayed there too. The popular Qur’an reciter, the late Sheikh Abdul Basit Abdus Samad, spent many nights reciting the Qur’an publicly at the mosque.
The mosque has a special place in the hearts of many citizens of Jeddah. Muhammad Al-Jad'ani, who lives in Jeddah, says that when he prays in the mosque, he feels filled with spiritual feelings and peace, especially in the holy month of Ramadan. “I make it a point to always come here in Ramadan to do the evening prayers,” he said.
229-year-old mosque shines in heart of downtown Jeddah
229-year-old mosque shines in heart of downtown Jeddah
Financial transactions easier with fintech, but there are obstacles, says expert
- Rapid development of global markets makes corruption a major threat, Saudi business leader warns
- Investors should fund crime-fighting technologies, Arab Forum of Anti-Corruption Agencies and Financial Intelligence Units told
RIYADH: Financial transactions have been made easier by rapid and accelerating growth in technologies, but there are still obstacles to overcome, said Nabil Koshak, CEO of the Saudi Venture Capital Company.
“Investors should fund the development of technologies that help fight these obstacles and crimes,” said Koshak, a panelist at the Arab Forum of Anti-Corruption Agencies and Financial Intelligence Units on its second day on Thursday in Riyadh.
With the interconnectedness and rapid development of global markets, corruption represents a major threat and carries significant risks for investors.
Discussing ways in which businesses and financial institutions manage the dangers of market corruption, Koshak said: “Investing in this sector attracts capital from the world’s top venture capital and financial firms. These firms noticed a significant gap and difficulty that the authority, financial institutions, and governments face; as a result, as technology advances, investors will have more and bigger opportunities to invest.”
Based on the effects of corruption, and its repercussions on economic stability and sustainable development, there is an increasing trend among corporate and institutional investors to adopt proactive methods to confront these risks directly, he said.
“In 2016, Saudi Vision 2030 emphasized the importance of sectoral investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship, particularly among developing companies and small and medium-sized organizations. In 2023, funding and venture investment in the Kingdom were increased, and from 2018 to today it became the top Middle Eastern country to invest. The Saudi Venture Investment Company’s initiative prompted over 50 investment funds to invest in technology and emerging companies in general,” he added.
By prioritizing anti-corruption measures and integrating them into decision-making frameworks, investors are reshaping the standards of responsible investment and demonstrating a commitment to ethical business conduct.
“The digital economy is a strong regulatory framework for Saudi Arabia. Even to stimulate investment in technologies related to the field of combating digital crimes, we are proud of Saudi Arabia’s entrepreneurs and investors. Participation of startups and entrepreneurs to establish companies that contribute to developing technologies in combating crimes, such as Mozoon Company, Amwal Company, and others,” Koshak said.
He said that the significant changes that took place in this sector did not come out of nowhere. Vision 2030 was focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and small and medium enterprises.
Koshak said that it is important to continue supporting and empowering entrepreneurs and innovators in order to find innovative solutions that keep pace with the challenges.
He added that It is critical to recognize that as the digital economic transformation accelerates, new and different challenges will emerge.
Innovation and creativity are important tools to find solutions that keep pace with this accelerating digital transformation in various sectors, the most important of which is the fight against financial crime, Koshak said.
Makkah scouts train to use digital quick-response tech to help pilgrims
- Scouts trained on smart application that provides route planning, navigation and guidance to pilgrims at holy sites
- Digital approach helps to protect the environment by eliminating the need for paper maps and signs
RIYADH: Saudi scouts are being taught how to use digital technology and quick-response codes on their smartphones to better help Hajj pilgrims with guidance, on-site navigation and route planning at the Kingdom’s holy sites.
The course, run by the Ministry of Education through the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association, began a 10-day training program in Makkah on Wednesday for scouts to help pilgrims during the annual Hajj, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Thirty-two trainees from four scout vanguards are currently enrolled to receive training.
A smart application that provides route planning, navigation and guidance to pilgrims at the holy sites will be used.
Explaining the benefits of using digital technology and QR codes during scout trips to holy sites, scout leader Abdullah Alharthi said that this approach helps to protect the environment by eliminating the need for paper maps and signs, and avoiding visual clutter in sacred spaces.
Additionally, the digital system ensures the encryption of scouts’ messages.
SASA, which works with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to help pilgrims each year, plays an important role during Hajj season when, every year, scouts from all corners of the Kingdom gather to assist pilgrims during Hajj.
Regardless of age or gender, these volunteers devote their time and energy to enable pilgrims to fulfill the Hajj rituals with ease.
The scouts affiliated with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah primarily focus on assisting lost pilgrims by providing guidance and directions, ensuring they reach their designated camps safely.
Last year, according to SASA, 3,500 scouts were stationed around the holy sites in Makkah.
The SASA volunteers told Arab News they are classified into two age groups: the advanced scout category and the ranger category. The advanced scout category is made up of scout members aged between 15 and 17. The ranger category comprises those from 18 to 22, including scout leaders (150 of whom last year were women) and friends and pioneers of SASA.
Saudi Arabia condemns assassination attempt on Slovakia’s prime minister
- The ministry wished speedy recovery of the prime minister
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday condemned the attempted assassination of Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, the foreign ministry said.
“The Kingdom rejects all forms of violence, reaffirming its full solidarity with Slovakia against everything that threatens its security and stability,” the statement read.
The ministry wished a speedy recovery for the prime minister, who remains, according to his deputy, in a “very serious condition” after the attack in Handlova.
Fico was admitted to hospital on Wednesday where he underwent a five-hour emergency surgery after being shot five times.
The shooting was the first major assassination attempt on a European political leader for more than 20 years, and drew international condemnation, with political analysts and legislators saying it was indicative of an increasingly febrile and polarised political climate across the continent.
Saudi Arabia, Iraq sign pact to counter money laundering, terrorism
RIYADH: The Kingdom and Iraq have signed an agreement to counter money laundering and terrorism, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The pact was signed between the General Directorate of Financial Investigation at the Presidency of State Security and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Office of the Republic of Iraq.
The agreement was inked on the sidelines of the Arab Forum of Anti-Corruption Agencies and Financial Intelligence Units in Riyadh.
French pilgrim walks through 13 countries to perform Umrah
- Currently in Madinah, he is now preparing to walk to Makkah
MADINAH: French traveler Mohamed Boulabiar spent eight months walking through 13 countries to perform Umrah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In an interview with the SPA shortly after arriving in Madinah on Wednesday, Boulabiar said he trained for two years for the 8,000-km walk.
He started in Paris on Aug. 27, 2023, and walked through Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkiye and Jordan before eventually reaching Saudi Arabia.
With only a map and a bag containing essential provisions and a tent weighing only 25 kg, Boulabiar said he spent most of his nights at mosques along the route or with generous strangers who welcomed him into their homes.
Boulabiar said the hardest part of the journey was the weather.
“I departed in the summer and arrived in the spring, passing through autumn and winter, enduring storms and thunder. At one stage of the journey, a snowstorm at the Greek border delayed my trip by a week,” he said.
“It has been a dream since childhood. I yearned to arrive in Makkah on foot, emulating the prophet,” said Boulabiar.
