ThePlace: Grand Mosque in Makkah

Updated 02 June 2018
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ThePlace: Grand Mosque in Makkah

  • The Grand Mosque dates back to the era of Prophet Ibrahim, who built a smaller, simpler version with his son, Ismael
  • Near the Kaaba is the Well of Zamzam, which Muslims have used since Ibrahim’s era

Hundreds of thousands of worshippers performed the third Friday prayer at the Grand Mosque during this holy month of Ramadan.

For the first time, the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques this year launched a transfer service for elderly, sick and special-needs pilgrims, with drivers transporting families and individuals to perform their rituals.

The Grand Mosque dates back to the era of Prophet Ibrahim, who built a smaller, simpler version with his son, Ismael. Now, 900,000 worshippers occupy the mosque each day, with the number rising to 4 million during the Hajj season.

In 2007, the late King Abdullah began a major extension project to raise the mosque’s capacity to 2 million. 

Near the Kaaba is the Well of Zamzam, which Muslims have used since Ibrahim’s era. Today the well still supplies many Muslims and pilgrims with Zamzam water.


Program to combat terrorist financing ends

Updated 14 sec ago
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Program to combat terrorist financing ends

RIYADH: The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition has concluded its advanced training program in Nairobi, Kenya, which was focused on combating terrorist financing and money laundering.

The five-day program was part of the Saudi-backed coalition’s capacity-building initiative, aimed at strengthening member states’ capabilities to combat financial crimes linked to terrorism.

The closing ceremony was attended by Maj. Gen. Mohamed Nour Hassan, Kenya’s deputy army commander, and several civilian and military officials, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The program brought together specialists from the banking, financial, and security sectors, including financial compliance officers, investigators, and professionals combating money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as representatives from regulatory and supervisory authorities. It combined theoretical knowledge with practical exercises.

Sessions addressed international legislation frameworks, emerging methods of terrorist financing, money-laundering mechanisms, and the use of digital technologies for monitoring and analysis.

The program also covered leadership skills and corporate compliance management, supported by case studies and exercises to enhance participants’ ability to trace suspicious financial flows and analyze complex patterns.

The coalition said that the program reflected its commitment to helping member states build effective national systems to combat terrorist financing and financial crimes, enhance coordination with regional and international partners, and improve specialist efficiency.

These efforts contribute to integrated responses that keep pace with evolving challenges and support security and stability at national and international levels.