The Ministry of Health staged a drill at Jeddah Islamic Port on Thursday to identify and quarantine pilgrims suffering from infectious diseases.
The drill took place under the direct supervision of Wael Thaskandi, who is in charge of the quarantine department at the port.
The operation involved taking two 'infected' pilgrims from a passenger liner and ferrying them to the infectious department at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah.
Adel Mohammed bin Turkistani, head of the health surveillance committee at the port, described it as a successful operation. “Everything went well except for some minute observations,” he said.
Officials from customs, immigration, command and control, and security departments took part. The "patients" were transported safely to the hospital.
Turkistani said the operation showed that the ministry was ready to tackle any emergency. He said the ministry was making every effort to serve the guests of Allah properly.
The ministry has deployed teams of officials at 14 ports of entry in the western province to check for infected pilgrims.
Health Ministry spokesman Khalid Al-Mirghalani said that the health requirements for this year focused on several diseases such as Ebola, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, yellow fever, meningitis, polio and vaccination against seasonal influenza.
The ministry has announced that vaccination against meningitis is mandatory for all local and international Haj pilgrims, while flu shots are recommended. He said that vaccinations should be taken at least 10 days before pilgrims arrive in the Kingdom.
He said vaccinations against meningitis are valid for three years. Explaining the seriousness of meningitis, Al-Mirghalani said that pilgrims coming from areas where the illness is widespread, can cause an outbreak during the Haj season.
He said that congestion and overcrowding would ensure the disease spreads quicker. The vaccine is given to adults and children over two years of age and is not administered to pregnant women.
Al-Mirghalani said the ministry's national scientific committee, which acts as a command center for the pilgrimage, monitors pilgrims arriving from all countries.
He said the quarantine requirements for Haj visas have been sent to all Saudi overseas missions through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh.
Countries where yellow fever is endemic are Angola, Benin, Sudan, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Burundi, Chad, Uganda, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Kenya, Liberia, Sao Tomé and Principe, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mali, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Suriname, Peru, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay.
Polio vaccinations are also compulsory for pilgrims from many African countries, and Pakistan, India, Nepal and Afghanistan. A dose of oral polio medication is compulsory for countries including Uganda, Kenya, Benin, Angola, Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia.
On arrival, pilgrims from these countries would be given another oral dose of polio vaccine irrespective of their age.
Besides these vaccinations, Al-Mirghalani advised pilgrims to take precautions against influenza. The flu vaccine is not mandatory but it is desirable to take it considering the present climate and the susceptibility of pilgrims.
Al-Mirghalani advised that high-risk patients who have chronic ailments such as diabetes, hypertension and renal problems, should take the flu vaccine, which would help them perform their Haj and Umrah rituals without problems.
The official said pilgrims must pack their food in sealed containers.
Quarantine measures for infectious diseases in place
Quarantine measures for infectious diseases in place
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
