MADINAH: Pilgrims and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque are eager to communicate with relatives through social media during their presence in Madinah or Makkah, and social media is the easiest way to do so.
Many visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque were seen making calls from the yards of the mosque to relatives, and conveying the scenes of the great Islamic gathering. The calls carry deep emotional feelings where relatives ask Allah Almighty, to facilitate Hajj rituals for the pilgrims, accept their Hajj, and return them to their countries with their sins forgiven.
Rudwan Abdullah, a Sudanese pilgrim, said the call of a pilgrim to his family is an important matter. He was able to perform his rituals comfortably after calls to his mother, wife and children. He said he wanted to make calls to his family continuously throughout the day, adding that hearing his mother’s prayer by phone has a special impact on his heart.
Likewise, Mohammed Asad Al-Bakri, a Sudanese, said social media has provided easy and direct means of communication with relatives. On his arrival in Madinah, he was eager to get an Internet-access phone chip to communicate with his wife, children and brothers through voice and images via the Snap Chat application. In addition to normal phone calls, media applications document wonderful scenes from Madinah to become part of the memories in a pilgrim’s life, he said.
For his part, Mohammed Naim, an Indonesian pilgrim, said Hajj is a major step in the life of a Muslim, adding that it is a natural thing that a traveler, be it a pilgrim or visitor, wants to be in communication with his family, relatives or friends to let them know about his condition.
Murad Mahmoud, an Egyptian pilgrim who came with his wife to perform Hajj, said the phone has become a necessity for a pilgrim to keep in direct contact with relatives, and at the least cost, adding that he was in constant communication with his family via the WhatsApp application.
Social media communicates Hajj pilgrims’ feelings from holy sites to relatives around the world
Social media communicates Hajj pilgrims’ feelings from holy sites to relatives around the world
Saudi hospitality boom sparks innovation beyond the plate
- At the Four Seasons Riyadh, Diageo hosted a private tasting at Tonic Bar followed by a 10-course dinner at Julien
- Dinner at Julien paired dishes with drinks made using Tanqueray 0.0, Captain Morgan 0.0, and Guinness 0.0
RIYADH: As restaurants and hotels in Saudi Arabia refine their culinary identities, beverages are increasingly being treated as crafted experiences in their own right, shaped by technique and intention.
At the Four Seasons Riyadh, Diageo hosted a private tasting at Tonic Bar followed by a 10-course dinner at Julien, offering a snapshot of how this evolution is beginning to take shape, as international players and local venues test new approaches to pairing and presentation.
Speaking to Arab News, Nick Rees, marketing director of Diageo MENA, pointed to the rapid growth of the nonalcoholic segment globally and in the region: “There’s a far faster growing percentage of it (the industry) is non-alcohol … There (are) trends globally … A lot of it will be pointed to wellness, mindful drinking.”
Rees said that Saudi Arabia’s fast-developing culinary and hospitality scene calls for beverages that match the level of excellence seen in kitchens across the Kingdom.
“It’s kind of the lack of choices and that’s where we want to be able to provide people the option, and people here absolutely have the same kind of talent and desire as their counterparts behind the kitchen,” he said.
“That’s where our role is to give people the kind of core ingredients for them to be able to work with … we have many more brands that we would love to introduce to the Kingdom.”
The dinner at Julien paired dishes with drinks made using Tanqueray 0.0, Captain Morgan 0.0, and Guinness 0.0, offering a glimpse into the range of styles Diageo is bringing to the market.
Flavor profiles ranged from light and refreshing combinations with cucumber and capers brine to richer, malt-forward blends, each designed to complement the accompanying dishes, from ravioli to black cod.
Rees emphasized that pairing food with thoughtfully crafted beverages is becoming an essential part of the hospitality experience.
“In the Kingdom, we’re looking at giving people the experience that currently is not available to them because I know for sure that the kind of quality and expertise and craftsmanship that can go into creating some of these drinks is absolutely as exciting as the work that the chefs would do with their food,” he said.
Anthony Abou Haider, head of Gulf at Diageo, said the company sees long-term potential in Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector.
“It’s such an opportunity to be a part of this transformation journey,” he told Arab News. “We’re not looking for a short-term gain, we’re looking at a very long-term gain here because whatever we do now is building for the future.”
