JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs has allocated a 24-hour hotline (8002451000) during the Hajj season, to answer religious inquiries of pilgrims and others. As many as 128 preachers, 81 in Makkah and 47 in Madinah, will be available to answer pilgrims’ queries around the clock.
The preachers will be available to provide information on different Hajj procedures on the phone.
There are 59 phone lines: 24 in Makkah, 6 in Madinah and 29 in the sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat. These lines operate according to the telecommunications relay service that receives the call directly and transfers it to the next line if there is no answer, according to a schedule placed by the provider.
An administrative team is in charge of arranging and coordinating the schedules of the preachers to cover all working hours.
The administrative team consists of seven employees in addition to a coordinator.
The number of calls received from the 20th of Dhul Qadah until the beginning of Dul Hijjah reached 9,271.
Hotline established to respond to Hajj-related queries
Hotline established to respond to Hajj-related queries
- The preachers will be available to provide information on different Hajj procedures on the phone
Saudi watchdog warns of possible health risk from Nestle baby formula
- Company voluntarily recalls its Nan, Alfamino, S-26 Gold and S-26 Ultima products over concerns they might be contaminated with cereulide, a toxin produced by bacteria
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority says recall is precautionary and no related illnesses have been reported, but advises consumers to dispose of recalled products immediately
RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority on Tuesday warned the public not to consume certain Nestle infant formula products, after the company issued a voluntary recall over concerns about possible contamination.
The advisory covers products marketed under the Nan, Alfamino, S-26 Gold and S-26 Ultima brands. They might be contaminated with cereulide, a toxin produced by the Bacillus cereus bacteria, which can pose a risk to infant health, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Saudi authority said the recall was a precautionary measure and no related illnesses have been reported. Possible symptoms of exposure can include nausea, repeated vomiting and abdominal pain.
It advised consumers to dispose of the recalled products immediately, and said it was coordinating with Nestle to ensure they are removed from stores and is monitoring the process.
Full details of the affected products, including batch numbers, are available at the Saudi Food and Drug Authority website. The organization said consumers can report any food safety concerns by calling 19999.
