RIYADH: During the penultimate week of Ramadan, Umrah travel operators in the capital have increased their Umrah package from SR250 ($66.67) to SR300 from its pre-season price of SR80.
A leading hotelier in Makkah told Arab News that hotels are nearing 100 percent occupancy at the end of the holy month.
Domestic pilgrims have taken up 95 percent of Makkah central zone hotel reservations made, then canceled, by Qatari and international pilgrims, Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry member Saad Al-Qurashi was quoted as saying by Okaz newspaper. He said the number of Umrah pilgrims during Ramadan increased this year, reaching 300,000.
He said more than 85 percent of hotel rooms in the central zone around the Grand Mosque are occupied. “Makkah hotels are capable of accommodating the increasing numbers of visitors… the number of pilgrims is expected to reach 15 million, and it is planned to accommodate 30 million pilgrims and Umrah performers by 2030.”
This year, the peak season coincides with the summer holidays. A large number of vacationers, including Saudis, are expected to participate in the pilgrimage this year.
Meanwhile, hospital and health facilities in Makkah have treated 50,000 emergency cases during the first three weeks of the holy month. The Makkah Health Affairs General Directorate said the number of cases admitted to Makkah hospitals numbered more than 5,000 since the beginning of Ramadan. Besides hospital cases, more than 27,000 patients were seen at clinics, and more than 600 babies were delivered.
With 3 more days to go for Ramadan, Umrah package price soars
With 3 more days to go for Ramadan, Umrah package price soars
Orphans’ Day: OIC calls for renewed efforts amid escalating crises
- Day cannot be commemorated without highlighting suffering of orphans in Gaza, says secretary-general
- Hissein Brahim Taha: Caring for orphans is a collective responsibility and a religious, humanitarian and ethical duty that requires concerted efforts
RIYADH: In commemoration of Orphan Day in the Islamic World, which falls on the 15th day of Ramadan each year, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation called on the international community, member states and humanitarian institutions to intensify efforts aimed at promoting the care of orphans.
The annual commemoration serves to implement the decision of the Council of Foreign Ministers issued at its 40th session (Conakry 2013), which aims to institutionalize concern for orphan issues and place their requirements at the top of the OIC’s humanitarian agenda, said an official statement.
OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha said: “Caring for orphans is a collective responsibility and a religious, humanitarian and ethical duty that requires concerted efforts to ensure that they enjoy their full rights and provide a safe and supportive environment that enables them to build their future and participate actively in the development of their communities.”
The secretary-general added that the event comes amid increasing humanitarian challenges, which call for more comprehensive and sustainable approaches to ensure the protection and care of orphans, especially in light of natural disasters and conflicts in OIC member states and the resulting increase in the number of orphans and their many needs.
He said that the day could not be commemorated without highlighting the suffering of orphans in the Gaza Strip, where there are 57,000, including 17,000 children who were orphaned as a result of the recent brutal Israeli war, 3,000 of whom lost both parents.
This makes the Gaza Strip in dire need of a large number of care homes to provide a decent life for orphans, he said, adding that orphans in Gaza were the biggest victims of the Israeli aggression due to the lack of education and the destruction of many schools and educational and social facilities that used to support them.
The secretary-general highlighted the importance of developing institutional and family care programs, supporting education and psychological and social rehabilitation for orphans, and strengthening partnerships with charitable and humanitarian institutions to provide integrated health and living services that ensure their positive integration into their communities.
He said that caring for orphans and protecting their rights is a fundamental value in Islam, which calls for their care and urges the provision of comprehensive protection for them educationally, health-wise, socially, and in terms of living conditions to ensure their proper upbringing, preserve their human dignity and support their future.
