Youngsters help for a smooth Pilgrimage
Every year, many of the young people in Saudi gather from all over the Kingdom to help their Muslim brothers and sisters fulfill their lifetime dream of visiting Makkah to perform Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam.
With the support and the supervision of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, volunteers participate in all different kind of activities to ensure pilgrims’ comfort, receiving them with hospitality and generosity at the country’s ports. All governmental and private bodies, including Scouts, join self-motivated volunteers to provide services such as traffic control, health care, guidance and support to various public sector agencies participating in the massive pilgrimage operation.
In 2017, the ministry approved the launch of the volunteering program Kun Awnan, or “Be Helpful,” to serve pilgrims. “This program is in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to rally one million volunteers per year,” Hani Abu Alsaud, the program’s CEO, told Arab News.
Through this program, the ministry aims to promote a culture of volunteering, while providing young people with a chance to use their expertise and skills to assist pilgrims while doing everything they can to make the experience of God’s guests smoother and more secure.
The program assigns volunteers to different locations based on their skills, experience and, in some cases, their place of residence. Volunteering points or camps include the holy mosques of both Makkah and Madinah, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah and the holy sites in Makkah.
Kun Awnan activities include receiving pilgrims at airports, providing translations in a wide range of languages, doing all possible to make the Hajj experience go smoothly, as well as guiding activities and ceremonies after the season is over.
Scout camp activities were also launched to serve pilgrims during this year’s Hajj season under the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association. More than 4,500 Saudi Scouts and Guides were deployed in the public service camps for pilgrims in Makkah and its holy sites to assist pilgrims in cooperation with the ministry. Operations General Hamoud bin Suleiman Al-Faraj told local media that the civil defense hoped to increase volunteer work under its umbrella, and had witnessed a large increase in the number of volunteers participating in the Hajj within a year — 1,485 volunteers this year compared with 816 volunteers in 2017.
Nigeria airlifts pilgrims for Hajj
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has airlifted 34,978 pilgrims in 90 flights to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj exercise. This was revealed Wednesday by the commission’s Command Control Unit.
The unit records and disseminates each airlift from various international Airports in Nigeria. The airlift of pilgrims, which is being carried out by two local airlines, Max and Medview, and a Saudi Arabian owned Flynas Air, is expected to end this Friday.
Apart from the pilgrims being airlifted from the 36 states, Abuja and the Armed Forces, about 20,000 pilgrims travelling through various private tour operators are also being airlifted by various international airlines.
The Hajj 2018 proper is expected to commence on Sunday with the movement of the nearly two million pilgrims from their various accommodations in Makkah to the tent city of Muna. The pilgrims are also expected to proceed to the plains of Arafat on Monday where they will spend the whole day in supplication and prayers.
From Arafat, pilgrims are conveyed in buses to Muzdalifa, an open space between Arafat and Muna where they will spend the night. The two million pilgrims are then expected to proceed to Jamarat, for the first symbolic stoning of the devil ritual.
However, NAHCON’s logistics chief, Aliyu Tanko, said the stoning ritual will be done based on turn by turn arrangements. Mr Tanko who undertook a tour of Muna and inspected the facilities put in place for Nigerian Pilgrims told reporters that “all pilgrims are expected to return to their tents from Muzdalifa and await their turn after which specific guides will lead them along specified routes to the Jamarat”.
A stampede in Muna in 2015 led to the death of several pilgrims, some from Nigeria. Since the incident, Saudi Arabian authorities adopted the turn by turn arrangement in order to forestall a repeat of the unfortunate incident.
Madinah Governor welcomes Head of Omani Hajj Mission
Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman on Wednesday received in his office Sheikh Sultan bin Said Al-Hinai, head of the Omani Hajj Mission, and his accompanying delegation.
The meeting discussed the services provided to pilgrims from all parties involved in the Hajj. Prince Faisal stressed the important role the official Hajj missions play in leveraging the services offered by the Kingdom to allow the pilgrims to perform Hajj rituals with ease and tranquility.
Al-Hinai gave thanks and appreciation to the Madinah governor on the welcoming reception and the care and attention given to the Omani pilgrims during their stay in Madinah.
A Multiligual double decker bus introduced for Pilgrims
A new double-decker bus tour, supervised by the Development Authority of Madinah Region, will introduce visitors to some of Madinah’s historic landmarks as well as its entertainment facilities, commercial sites, and public utilities. The tour is part of the service extended to Hajj pilgrims and other visitors to the holy city.
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The bus tour covers 12 stops, including the Prophet’s Mosque, Al-Manakha, the “Beautiful Names of Allah” exhibition, Al-Salam Door, Al-Uhud Mountain, Al-Noor Mall, Abu Bakr Road, Masjid Al-Qiblatain, Al-Khandaq Mosque, Quba Mosque, Hejaz railway and Quba Boulevard.
Trips start from the northern and southern entrances of the Prophet’s Mosque. The morning shift starts after the Fajr prayers and ends before noon, with departures every 30 minutes until noon, and the later shift starts after evening prayer with departures every 30 minutes until 11 p.m.
All double-decker buses, the authority announced, are equipped to transport people of all ages and people with special needs. Translation services covering 12 languages will apparently soon be available on the tours.
The authority said that these tours underline its continuous commitment to launch projects that enrich the experience of residents and visitors alike and provide high-quality services in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Is the Spat between Canada and Saudi affecting the Canadian Hajj pilgrims?
Members of Canada’s Muslim community say recent tensions between Ottawa and Saudi Arabia are affecting some people’s ability to perform what’s seen in the faith as a fundamental religious right.
They say many currently embarking on hajj, a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, are anxious about their travel arrangements in light of the simmering spat, which has seen the country’s state airline cancel flights to and from Canada.
Hajj, which officially gets under way later this week, is an annual pilgrimage which draws people from around the world to Saudi Arabia each year. The crowds, squeezed shoulder to shoulder in prayer five times a day, fill the city of Mecca and surrounding areas to perform a number of physically demanding and intricate rites.
Hajj, which officially gets under way later this week, is an annual pilgrimage which draws people from around the world to Saudi Arabia each year. The crowds, squeezed shoulder to shoulder in prayer five times a day, fill the city of Mecca and surrounding areas to perform a number of physically demanding and intricate rites.
At least one travel agent also says some would-be pilgrims decided not to follow through on their travel plans after tensions between the two countries flared up unexpectedly earlier this month. The diplomatic dispute began when Canada’s Ministry of Global Affairs sent a tweet calling for Saudi Arabia to “immediately release” two women’s rights activists currently detained in jail.
The kingdom reacted by severing diplomatic ties, suspending future trade, recalling students from Canadian schools and cancelling the state airline’s operations in Canada. People in contact with hajj participants say the move involving the airline has complicated return travel plans for many, and add that they are anticipating other post-pilgrimage issues.
