The journey begins: One million Muslims begin first rituals of Hajj 2022

Muslim pilgrims pray around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque on Tuesday during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)
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Updated 07 July 2022
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The journey begins: One million Muslims begin first rituals of Hajj 2022

  • Kingdom launches massive operation to protect pilgrims’ health and safety

MAKKAH: A million pilgrims began the spiritual journey of a lifetime as the first rituals of the annual Hajj began.

Hundreds of thousands of worshippers circled Islam’s holiest site, the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Many held umbrellas to block the sun as the temperature climbed to 42C.

On Thursday, the pilgrims will move to a vast tented city at Mina, about 5 kilometers from the Grand Mosque, ahead of the main rite at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon.

Saudi authorities have mounted a massive operation to ensure the health and safety of pilgrims. The Saudi Health Ministry has prepared 23 hospitals and 147 health centres in Makkah and Madinah, the second-holiest city in Islam, to accommodate pilgrims.

Four hospitals and 26 health centers are also ready to treat pilgrims in Mina. There are more than 1,000 beds for patients requiring intensive care and more than 200 specifically for heatstroke patients, and more than 25,000 health workers are ready to respond to cases as they arise.

 “It’s all going well so far. I have moved around a lot and saw rules are being respected,” said Faten Abdel Moneim, 65, a mother of four from Egypt.

Naima Mohsen, 42, also from Egypt, said: “Being here is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t wait for the rest. My only problem is the weather. It’s just too hot.”

FASTFACTS

• The Hajj follows a route Prophet Muhammad walked nearly 1,400 years ago and is believed to trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail.

• The Qur’an says that all Islam’s followers who are physically and financially able should make the pilgrimage once in their lifetime.

One million fully vaccinated Muslims, including 850,000 from abroad, are allowed at this year's Hajj, after two years of curtailed numbers because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

In 2019 about some 2.5 million Muslims from around the world took part in Hajj, but after that the pandemic forced a downsizing. Only 60,000 fully vaccinated residents of the Kingdom took part in 2021, up from a few thousand in 2020.

The restoration of the Hajj stirred bittersweet emotions for pilgrims Sutrisno and Sri Wahyuningsih, two teachers from Indonesia. Sri’s parents were supposed to take part in 2020, but their plans fell victim to the pandemic.

Sri’s father will now never make the journey after he died from a stroke in March, and her mother could not take part because she is over this year’s age limit of 65.

Nevertheless, Sutrisno, 54, and Sri, 51, are joyful at undertaking the Hajj in place of Sri’s parents. “It’s such a huge moral burden to me,” said Sri. “But my mother has given her blessings to me and I have to think that this is a journey I have to go through, everything is Allah’s decision, and I have to go on the Hajj.”


Archaeologists discuss latest findings from Al-Faw, Saudi Arabia’s newest World Heritage Site

Updated 09 October 2024
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Archaeologists discuss latest findings from Al-Faw, Saudi Arabia’s newest World Heritage Site

  • Delegates at international conference in Riyadh are told recent discoveries at the site have changed our understanding of ancient civilizations in the region
  • Addition in July of Al-Faw to UNESCO’s World Heritage List ‘confirms the importance of the site to the world,’ expert says

RIYADH: Experts gathered at an international conference in Riyadh on Tuesday to discuss the latest historical secrets unearthed at Al-Faw archaeological site in Saudi Arabia, including information about the complex network of trade routes that intersected there and the cultural exchanges that took place.

The event, organized by the Saudi Heritage Commission, follows the addition in July of Al-Faw to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. It is the eighth location in the Kingdom to achieve this recognition.

Ajab Al-Otaibi, director of the commission’s Archaeological Documentation and Research department talked about the ways in which recent discoveries have changed our understanding of ancient civilizations in the region.

“The most recent excavations have revealed a complex network of trade routes and cultural exchanges that connected Al-Faw with other kingdoms in the Arabian Peninsula and beyond,” he said. 

“These findings have significantly reshaped our understanding of the social and economic dynamics in the region during ancient times.”

The discoveries offer fresh insights into trade and communication networks in the region at the time, and help to create a more comprehensive understanding of the communities that lived there, he added.

Noura Al-Khamees, general manager of the World Heritage Sector at the commission, welcomed the recognition of the site by UNESCO. 

“Having Al-Faw on UNESCO’s World Heritage List confirms the importance of the site to the world,” she said.

“Not only is it a testament to the great history and significance of the site but it’s a global recognition of the strong, Saudi-led management, conservation, protection, research and presentation of Al-Faw.”

One of the specific topics discussed during the conference was the rock art and inscriptions discovered at the site, which the experts said provide valuable insights into the lives of ancient inhabitants of Al-Faw. 

The attendees were invited to participate in field visits to the site to see for themselves the ongoing preservation efforts and experience the history it reveals.

Organizers said Al-Faw is more than simply an archaeological site, it is a symbol of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to preserving and sharing its cultural heritage with the world.

Al-Faw is in Wadi Ad-Dawasir, about 700 kilometers southwest of Riyadh, at the intersection of the Empty Quarter desert and the Tuwaiq mountain range. It contains about 12,000 archaeological artifacts and has a history of human habitation stretching back more than 6,000 years.


15 years in jail for 2 expatriates guilty of SR22m financial fraud in Saudi Arabia

Updated 08 October 2024
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15 years in jail for 2 expatriates guilty of SR22m financial fraud in Saudi Arabia

  • The pair, who set up call centers from which they contacted victims while pretending to be government officials, were also fined a total of SR1.5m

RIYADH: Two expatriates convicted of financial fraud have each been jailed for 15 years in Saudi Arabia and fined a total of SR1.5 million ($400,000). They were found guilty of 177 crimes from which they amassed more than SR22 million.

Investigations revealed the pair organized a fraud operation that targeted victims inside and outside the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. They established call centers in several regions across the country, from which they contacted victims while pretending to be government officials.

A search of their residence revealed tablets, SIM cards, two high-tech telecoms devices for making fraudulent calls, and a control device that managed the entire operation.

One of the individuals was fined SR1 million and the other SR500,000. The court also ordered that their ill-gotten gains be seized, and they be deported after completing their sentences. Officials from the Public Prosecution worked to trace the illicit funds and froze them so that the money can be returned to the victims.

The Public Prosecution said it remains committed to investigating such crimes and taking action against anyone found to be involved in them, as efforts to combat financial fraud are a top priority to help protect the assets of citizens and residents.


Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission vows to protect archeological sites against violators

Updated 08 October 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission vows to protect archeological sites against violators

  • Penalties for violations, including sticking advertisements, include hefty fines and imprisonment

MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission stressed that it will stand firmly against people who tamper with archeological sites, taking legal measures against them and preventing any transgressions that pose a threat to the safety of the Kingdom’s heritage.

In the past week, the commission observed several violations of the antiquities and urban heritage regulations in Al-Wajh governorate in the Tabuk region and referred 23 expatriates to the relevant authorities.

The commission seeks to raise public awareness about Saudi Arabia’s archeological heritage. (SPA)

The Heritage Commission explained that the encroachments were observed on the Umm Qurayyat and Al-Arja sites in Al-Wajh, Tabuk.

The violators moved stones and soil from an archeological site, it noted, adding that authorities will take legal measures against them.

HIGHLIGHT

The Heritage Commission outlined the penalties for vandalism and attacks on heritage sites, as stipulated in Articles 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 and 77 of the Antiquities and Urban Heritage Law.

The commission noted that it arrested numerous individuals who were involved in similar violations and investigations are underway in accordance with the applicable legal procedures.

The commission seeks to raise public awareness about Saudi Arabia’s archeological heritage. (SPA)

In its statement to Arab News, it emphasized that its mission is to protect and effectively manage the Kingdom’s cultural wealth and archaeological sites, by enforcing laws and regulations that ensure the protection of these sites.

The commission also seeks to raise local communities’ awareness about the importance of preserving cultural heritage as an integral part of the nation’s historical identity.

The commission seeks to raise local communities’ awareness about the importance of preserving cultural heritage as an integral part of the nation’s historical identity. (SPA)

The Heritage Commission outlined the penalties for vandalism and attacks on heritage sites, as stipulated in Articles 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 and 77 of the Antiquities and Urban Heritage Law.

According to these regulations, anyone who illegally appropriates an antiquity belonging to the state faces imprisonment for a period ranging from six months to seven years, and fines of between SR50,000 ($13,300) and SR500,000.

The commission seeks to raise public awareness about Saudi Arabia’s archeological heritage. (SPA)

In addition, the articles stipulate that anyone who violates a monument, archeological site or urban heritage site by destroying, altering, removing, excavating, damaging and changing its features, can be punished with imprisonment for a period ranging from three months to three years, and a fine between SR20,000 and SR300,0000.

The commission added in its statement: “Anyone who surveys or excavates antiquities without a license faces imprisonment for a period of not more than two years and a fine of not more than SR200,000 or with one of these two punishments.

The commission seeks to raise public awareness about Saudi Arabia’s archeological heritage. (SPA)

“Similar penalties apply to anyone who imitates or falsifies antiquity or performs any of the total or partial demolition works within the boundaries of antiquities and urban heritage sites, or builds on them, without obtaining approval from the ministry.”

It indicated that anyone who modifies a building or an urban heritage site, makes a modification in the surrounding environment that damages it without taking the ministry's approval or moves rubble, stones, or soil from monuments and urban heritage sites without the ministry’s approval, faces imprisonment for not more than a year and a fine not exceeding SR100,000 or one of these two penalties.

Similar sanctions apply to anyone who throws rubble or waste, defaces a monument or urban heritage by writing, painting, engraving, sticking advertisements on it, or committing arson in monuments and urban heritage sites.

 

 


World Dyslexia Day sees launch of initiative to empower Saudis with learning difficulties

Dyslexia is initially diagnosed by a neurologist or psychiatrist. (SPA)
Updated 08 October 2024
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World Dyslexia Day sees launch of initiative to empower Saudis with learning difficulties

  • Magnetic resonance imaging studies by scientists at the University of Bonn in Germany have identified abnormal brain activity in individuals with dyslexia, particularly in left brain regions that process language and visual neural signals

RIYADH: A project aiming to support and empower people with learning disabilities was launched in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, coinciding with World Dyslexia Day.

The initiative will address the challenges faced by those with dyslexia, and plans to equip their families, educators and healthcare professionals with additional tools to provide support.

Bahareth said people with dyslexia often encountered difficulties due to the impact on their reading, writing and overall learning capabilities. (SPA)

“It is crucial to remember that 70 percent of history’s most groundbreaking inventions came from minds shaped by dyslexia,” said Mohammad Bahareth, the scheme’s supervisor, citing Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Nikola Tesla.

Dyslexia is initially diagnosed by a neurologist or psychiatrist. To receive additional support in the Kingdom, people need a medical report and disability certificate from authorities accredited by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

Dyslexia is initially diagnosed by a neurologist or psychiatrist. (SPA)

People with dyslexia often have normal or above-average intelligence, and many are capable of performing well in school. One of the aims of the new program is to create a more inclusive and understanding environment.

Emotional support is believed to be crucial, with early assessment and intervention leading to the best outcomes. However, dyslexia is often not diagnosed until adulthood and there is also an overlap between dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which can cause difficulties with focus and impulsivity.

Dyslexia is initially diagnosed by a neurologist or psychiatrist. (SPA)

Bahareth said people with dyslexia often encountered difficulties due to the impact on their reading, writing and overall learning capabilities. He spoke about the magnocellular theory of dyslexia, which says the condition is caused by an abnormality in the cells responsible for transmitting information between the eye and the brain.

Studies have shown these cells are smaller in those with dyslexia than in people who are neurotypical. This causes incorrect transmission and frequency of read information, resulting in messages from the eye being misinterpreted by the brain.

Magnetic resonance imaging studies by scientists at the University of Bonn in Germany have identified abnormal brain activity in individuals with dyslexia, particularly in left brain regions that process language and visual neural signals.

Those with dyslexia can also experience associated difficulties, including physical balance issues. Another common challenge is distortion in the perception of time, while spatial disorientation can be another associated symptom.

People with dyslexia might struggle to recognize directions and have difficulty finding locations with using a map, while others face mathematical and numerical challenges.

 


Saudi defense minister discusses efforts to de-escalate regional tensions with US counterpart

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. (File/SPA/AFP)
Updated 08 October 2024
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Saudi defense minister discusses efforts to de-escalate regional tensions with US counterpart

  • Two officials reviewed the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and the US and ways to bolster defense cooperation

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed efforts to de-escalate regional tensions in a phone call on Tuesday.

During the call, the two officials also reviewed the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and the US and ways to bolster defense cooperation.

The latest regional and international developments and efforts to promote security and stability in the region were also discussed.