RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on people in the Kingdom to try and sight the crescent moon signalling the beginning of the month of Ramadan on Sunday evening.
Anyone who sights the crescent, either with the naked eye or with the help of binoculars, should inform the nearest court of the sighting, the court said.
The start of Ramadan is determined by the lunar calendar which, unlike the Gregorian calendar, follows a 29- or 30-day cycle determined by the cycle of the moon.
Ramadan 2021 is due to start on either Monday or Tuesday in the Kingdom.
Muslims anticipate the end of Shaaban, the month preceding Ramadan, by watching for the absence or presence of the crescent moon, which indicates the continuation of Shaaban or the beginning of Ramadan.
Saudi Arabia calls on people to sight Ramadan crescent on Sunday evening
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Saudi Arabia calls on people to sight Ramadan crescent on Sunday evening
- Ramadan 2021 is due to start on either Monday or Tuesday in the Kingdom
Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent for violations
- Company fails to provide housing for Umrah pilgrims
- Actions to ‘safeguard’ rights of visitors, says ministry
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the suspension of an Umrah company and its overseas agent for failing to provide contracted accommodation for pilgrims.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said the company violated regulations governing services for Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the two holy mosques.
It noted that several pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom without mandated accommodation. This prompted immediate action against the company and its overseas agent, the ministry stated.
“The measures are intended to safeguard the rights of affected pilgrims, prevent a recurrence of such violations, and ensure the continued enhancement of service quality,” it added.
Last June, the ministry suspended seven Umrah companies due to deficiencies in providing transport services for pilgrims.
In an earlier report quoting the Hajj Ministry and the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, the SPA said more than 1.7 million Muslims from all over the world arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah during the month of Jumada Al-Akhirah, corresponding to Nov. 22 to Dec. 20.
