JEDDAH: Makkah governorate’s Department of Public Relations and Media produced a documentary on the correction of the status of 250,000 members of its Burmese community, in both English and Arabic, that will be broadcast on social media.
The governorate’s spokesman, Sultan Al-Dosari, said the documentary was produced under the direct guidance and supervision of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is also the adviser to King Salman.
It shows in detail the process of correcting the status of these community members, which began as part of an initiative to develop popular neighborhoods in the emirate and expanded to an internationally and UN-acclaimed human rights initiative in the Kingdom.
Al-Dosari said the documentary includes accounts and narratives from the governor and from officials that had a role in the correction committee during the entire course of the initiative, as well as views of representatives of the UN and of members of the Burmese community who have had their status corrected.
The film shows how 250,000 Burmese citizens from different parts of the Kingdom were received by the passport department and other relevant entities and had their residence status finalized.
The Office of the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees described the Kingdom as a leader in this regard, as a country whose experience can benefit other countries.
The correction initiative, the documentary shows, achieved several successes and benefits for the Kingdom.
Also portrayed are the different sectors and partners involved in the correction efforts and processes, including the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, which put the number of citizens from Myanmar at one quarter of the number of foreigners benefiting from the Nitaqat programme.
Female citizens of Myanmar are entitled remain under the sponsorship of their families and are exempted from having their sponsorship transferred to companies they wish to work for.
At the same time, the members of the community can benefit from some. More than 83,000 Burmese citizens were immunized against infectious diseases (tuberculosis, meningitis, tetanus, and the seasonal flu) during the correction process, while 2,257 were treated for Hepatitis B and C.
The Ministry of Health estimates the total cost of health and preventative services provided to members of the Burmese community to have reached SR782 million.
The document shows how the 121 charity schools for members of the Burmese community in Makkah underwent some changes as well, allowing 62,650 students from third grade to high school to be accepted in public schools and 1,307 top students to receive university scholarships.
Makkah governorate produces documentary on Burmese expats
Makkah governorate produces documentary on Burmese expats
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
