JEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, opened the Makkah Cultural Forum on Sunday, where he addressed growing demands to improve pilgrimage experiences for Muslims visiting holy sites and cities in Saudi Arabia.
Called “How to Develop Cities to Serve the Hajj and Umrah,” the forum was the first of its kind for over 12 years. In that time, the prince said, the Kingdom has made great strides forward in developing innovative, creative ways of improving pilgrimages, and now welcomed people from across the Islamic world “with a smile,” but now needed to do more, and not rest on its laurels.
Prince Khaled, who chaired the forum, announced the launch of four new initiatives as part of a drive to modernize Hajj and Umrah. He also signed off on a number of smaller agreements between the city of Makkah, several Saudi universities, and the ministries of Islamic Affairs and Hajj and Umrah, to improve organization of the pilgrimages and the provision of services to participants.
The four initiatives, drawn up with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah included establishing a training center, and ratifying a code of ethics and conduct, for government employees working on pilgrimages, refining and improving the Yusr app for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, and supporting the Sadiq Al-Moatamir (Friend of the Pilgrim) initiative, which has so far trained over 1 million Hajj volunteers.
Dr. Abdul Fattah bin Suleiman Mashat, deputy minister for Hajj and Umrah, stressed that serving pilgrims was a top priority for the Kingdom.
“Since its inception, Saudi Arabia has served pilgrims; it is one of our most important founding principles. We aim to motivate Muslims and make it easier for them to perform the Hajj and Umrah rituals, and encourage investors to help serve pilgrims,” he said, adding that in all the initiatives, sustainability in supporting businesses, citizens and pilgrims on Hajj and Umrah was essential.
To ensure this, he said, the forum would need to “think outside the box,” and adopt measures to oversee and “incubate” all of the agreed initiatives, providing assistance and consultations.
The ceremony concluded with the additional signing of nine agreements between government agencies and private organizations, including a memorandum of strategic cooperation between ministries as part of the Hajj training center initiative.
There were also agreements to finance shaded parking spaces, smart guide boards and air-conditioned lounges to accommodate pilgrims, and a number of other developments related to improving infrastructure in Makkah, Jeddah and elsewhere, between, among others, the cities’ authorities, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Saudi Electricity Co.
Makkah governor launches raft of pilgrimage initiatives
Makkah governor launches raft of pilgrimage initiatives
- The launch of four new initiatives as part of a drive to modernize Hajj and Umrah
Where We Are Going Today: Ana Starter Sourdough Factory in Dammam
Since returning to live in the Kingdom after years abroad with the best bakeries at my fingertips, I have been on a mission to find suitable sourdough locally. I sampled many mediocre ones, but one would rise above the rest: Ana Starter Sourdough Factory.
I first met founder Aisha Al-Omair at the Juthoor Farmer’s Market and tried her bread then. I liked it immediately.
“Ana Starter Sourdough Factory started as a passion for creating and fermenting the healthiest bread and introducing it to the Saudi market,” she told me at the time.
It began as a personal mission then expanded — like the dough — to serve the community.
“For a long time, I’ve suffered feeding my kids proper bread. The breads that were available at the supermarkets or at local bakeries had instant yeast, that never really took time to ferment, and therefore, when you consume the average bread, you notice some stiffening, you notice indigestion, you notice bloating and heartburn.”
Indeed, I did not feel any bloating or heartburn after devouring a slice or a few so I recently went on a quest to find more.
I ventured to Dammam to find her factory shop. It is a tiny slither of a place — I almost missed it while driving past factories in the Industrial City.
The shop comes with a decadent whiff of delicious bread.
Upon entering, you will see fridges stocked with bread and goodies like jams and butters (from other brands) that complement the bread well.
The sourdough offerings include jalapeno cheddar, zataar, plain and about a dozen other flavors.
The hassawi sourdough, made with local dates from neighboring Al-Ahsa, quickly became my favorite. It has little bits of dates tucked inside like tiny treasures.
Each slice is separated with a sheet, making it easy to freeze and pull out what you need without slices sticking together.
Fluffy with a rustic crust, it is great for sandwiches, dipping in olive oil, or slathering with salted butter.
My freezer is now packed with loaves.
At around SR45 ($12) per loaf, the price is slightly steep for the local market, but the superior quality is worth the extra dough.
Each day, they post on Instagram Stories showing what is available for pickup — and the quantity of each item.
Ordering is easy: Send a DM to reserve a loaf, swing by the shop, or opt for delivery.
• For more details, check their Instagram @anaastarter.
