JEDDAH: A 104-year-old Indonesian woman has expressed thanks to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman for being hosted by the Kingdom during the Hajj pilgrimage.
Ibu Mariah Marghani Muhammad and her escorts are being hosted under the Guests of King Salman for Hajj and Umrah Program on account of her health needs.
Ibu Mariah, one of the oldest pilgrims performing Hajj this year, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday and was met at King Abdul Aziz International Airport’s Hajj Terminal by several Saudi television reporters, as well as officials from the Indonesian Consulate and various airport dignitaries.
Expressing appreciation for the king’s gesture, the Indonesian pilgrim said the special treatment offered to her is a reflection of the Kingdom’s keenness to offer extraordinary services to pilgrims. “Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), I am going to Makkah, Alhamdulillah I am going to Hajj,” she said.
Dressed in her ihram, the white head-to-toe dress used for Hajj and Umrah, Ibu Mariah said she had been to Saudi Arabia once before when she was younger — at the age of 90 — to perform the Umrah.
She will join about 221,000 pilgrims from Indonesia who will perform the Hajj pilgrimage this year.
The Kingdom seeks to provide comfort for pilgrims during the Umrah and Hajj seasons and has reached out to various pilgrims with specialized needs.
Hajj at 104: Indonesian pilgrim thanks King Salman
Hajj at 104: Indonesian pilgrim thanks King Salman
Coffee in Northern Borders is about flavor and community
ARAR: The strong and dark coffee in Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region denotes flavor, community and conversation.
The brew is typically prepared with generous amounts of cardamom, saffron or cloves and sometimes ginger. It is boiled in a rakwa or coffee kettle over a wood fire, giving it a unique taste associated with the Bedouin environment.
The coffee is served at “shabbat” gatherings in desert camps and on the outskirts of cities, where families and friends gather around a fire for warmth and conversations, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
FASTFACTS
• Dark brew boiled with cardamom, spices.
• All about hospitality, says an elder in Arar
Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Zammam, an Arar elder, said: “Coffee transcends simple hospitality for us — it initiates dialogue and embodies welcome. We dedicate ourselves to mastering its preparation because it demonstrates guest reverence and heritage appreciation.”
Northern heritage advocate Fahd Al-Saqri noted that coffee has evolved into a daily fixture within community councils, stressing that shabbat gatherings cannot truly commence without it.
Residents are keen to select the finest types of coffee beans, and preparation methods vary among families according to taste and custom.
Some families have passed down methods of preparing coffee through generations, with quality recognized by aroma, flavor, and color.
