MAKKAH: Weather is expected to remain hot during the day and mild at night with average temperature exceeding 40 degrees Celsius during the pilgrimage season, the chairman of the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection has said.
Abdulaziz bin Omar Al-Jasser pointed out that there’s a possibility of cumulus clouds appearing during the day in the eastern parts of Makkah, resulting in scattered rain and thunderstorm during the pilgrimage.
Abdulaziz inspected Met offices in Makkah including the Command and Control Center in Mina. The center issues forecasts for the next 10 days.
The General Authority for Meteorology and Environmental Protection has also deployed weather radars working round the clock under the supervision of experts both near the holy site and the its headquarters in Jeddah to analyze forecasts.
Temperatures likely to exceed 40 C during Haj
Temperatures likely to exceed 40 C during Haj
New Korean consul general hosts annual cultural festival in Jeddah
JEDDAH: Newly appointed Consul General of South Korea Woo Hong-Koo and the Korean International School in Jeddah recently held their annual cultural festival at the school, drawing the participation of over 500 visitors.
The festival introduced locals to Korean heritage and culture through crafts, food, music, talent shows, games, and traditional clothing.
Volunteers welcomed visitors with samples of Korean pear, Ginseng tea, and dried persimmons.
“This is my first time trying the dried persimmons,” said Heba Al-Zubairy, 32. “I love dried fruits, and this one is joining the fruits I like. It’s really sweet and melts in your mouth. I really like it.”
Visitors also had a chance to try traditional clothes, like the multi-layered hanbok for women, and take pictures at the photoshoot area.
At the handicraft section, festivalgoers made paper fans and wind chimes, while the culinary section introduced locals to Korean favorites like bibimbap — a dish of steamed rice with vegetables, mushrooms, meat, and fried egg — and kimbap, steamed rice wrapped in a sheet of dried seaweed with vegetables or meat and topped with sesame seeds.
“I made both dishes because I wanted to try the flavors of Korean cuisine,” said Fatema Elbathy, 28. “I didn’t know making healthy and delicious food was this simple.”
Taghreed Al-Sulaimani, 23, said: “I only made kimbap because it’s easy to make and it’s my comfort food, you can say.”
Attendees also had the chance to play Korean instruments like the janggu (a double-faced drum), jing (a gong hung on a frame), kkwaenggwari (a hand-held gong), and buk (a single-faced drum) — the main four instruments used in traditional cultural celebrations in Korea.
The new consul general in his speech thanked the people, saying: “On behalf of the Korean residents of Jeddah, I welcome you all here at the Korean Cultural Festival. I am delighted to gather with all of you here at the Korean International School, where we had the opportunity to serve Korean food and products. I hope it comes to your liking.
“They say, ‘You can count the number of seeds in an apple, but you can’t count the number of apples in a seed,’” he continued. “Maybe I could count the number of people attending this festival, but I can’t count the amount of love each of you holds in your heart for Saudi Arabia and Korea.
“I hope the festival could help in deepening your love and interest for Korean culture, so you can become the bridge that connects the two countries.”
The talent show featured a number of participants who performed Korean pop songs, and the night concluded with three winners who received prizes and lucky draws for 30 people, who received gifts representing Korean culture.
Road cooling initiative expanded to area around Arafat’s Namirah Mosque
- 25,000 square meters around Namirah mosque are being covered in a cool pavement material that absorbs less solar radiation than regular materials
RIYADH: An asphalt surface cooling initiative has been expanded to the area surrounding the Namirah Mosque in Arafat, the Roads General Authority said on Thursday.
25,000 square meters around the mosque, the second largest in the Makkah region after the Grand Mosque, are being covered in a cool pavement material that absorbs less solar radiation than regular materials.
During the day, roads absorb heat that can reach up to 70°C. Roads then release this heat at night, causing a phenomenon known as the “Urban heat island effect” which leads to increased energy consumption and air pollution.
“Cool pavements,” made from locally produced materials capable of absorbing less solar radiation by reflecting it, are being used to lower surface temperatures, the authority said.
Using the “cool pavements” material around the Namirah Mosque, where many pilgrims will pray the Dhuhr and Asr prayers on the second day of Hajj and its pinnacle, will reduce the temperature around them while they walk, the authority said.
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal speaks with Iranian acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani
- Kani has been the acting foreign minister since last week, following the death of his predecessor Hossein Amir-Abdollahian
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke on the phone with Iran’s acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Thursday.
During the call, Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Kani discussed relations between the two countries, ways to enhance them, and regional and international developments, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Kani has been the acting foreign minister since last week, following the death of his predecessor Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in a helicopter crash, which also killed President Ebrahim Raisi.
Saudi crown prince receives written message from Somali president
- The message was received on behalf of the crown prince by Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a written message from Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud concerning bilateral relations, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The message was received on behalf of the crown prince during a meeting between the Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati and the president’s special envoy Mahmoud Tahir Jeely.
During the reception, bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in all fields were reviewed. Topics of common interest were also discussed.
Critically ill Saudi citizen evacuated from Budapest
- A Saudi citizen has also gone missing in Egypt and security services are looking for him, embassy says
RIYADH: A Saudi citizen was evacuated from Budapest and flown back to the Kingdom after he became critically ill, Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Hungary reported on Wednesday.
The evacuation was organized in coordination with the Ministry of Health and under the supervision of the Kingdom’s envoy to Hungary Majed bin Abdulaziz Al-Abdan.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom’s embassy in Cairo issued a statement on Thursday regarding the disappearance of Saudi citizen Hattan bin Ghazi Shata.
The embassy confirmed Egyptian security services continue to search for Shata in coordination with his family, and that the embassy is following his case closely.
