Tag: mecca

  • Mixed reactions as supporter presses Imran Khan poster on The Ka’aba

    Mixed reactions as supporter presses Imran Khan poster on The Ka’aba

    A video emerged over the weekend on social media of a man, seemingly a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporter, waving a poster with Imran Khan’s picture inside the holiest Muslim site- The Ka’ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

    The footage was shared by a user on X, formerly Twitter while condemning his actions.

    Originally, the video was posted on Tiktok by a PTI supporter, Jameelrehmani24,  himself displaying the poster at the holy site.

    Social media reactions were mixed with some users saying there is nothing wrong with doing so and others condemning the move.

    Interestingly in 2018, two Indian nationals were held by Saudi authorities for waving and taking pictures with the tri-colour Indian flag inside the Kaaba in Mecca.

    Following the incident, the Consulate General of India in Jeddah released a statement that it is illegal to display flags in the area.

  • World’s third biggest mosque opens to public ahead of Ramzan

    World’s third biggest mosque opens to public ahead of Ramzan

    Algeria has finally opened the third-biggest mosque in the world and the largest in Africa, ahead of the holy month of Ramzan, according to Al Jazeera.

    The inauguration of the mosque has taken several days due to unrest in the country. The Grand Mosque of Algiers was formally opened on Monday by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

    Djamaa El-Djazair is how the locals refer to it, and it can house up to 120,000 worshippers at once. With a height of 265 meters (869 feet), it has the highest minaret in the world.

    After seven years of construction, a vast modernist building spanning approximately 70 acres was completed, with marble and wood elements along with Arabic and North African architectural elements.

    It even has a library large enough to house a million volumes and a helipad. The massive structure was built by a Chinese firm, reportedly costing around $900 million.

    It is being marketed as the third-biggest mosque worldwide, following the holy mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s mosque in Madina, both located in Saudi Arabia.

  • Schedule for Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia revealed

    Schedule for Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia revealed

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, Nawaz Sharif’s schedule for visiting Saudi Arabia has been revealed.

    According to news reports, Nawaz Sharif will spend the last Ashara of Ramzan in Saudi Arabia. The former prime minister will reach Jeddah along with his family on April 11.

    Nawaz will be in Jeddah and Makkah for three days, and then on April 15, he will go to Madina.

    Read more: Nawaz to visit Saudi as royal guest

    It is being reported that Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Nawaz Sharif, along with other Muslim League leaders, will reach Jeddah from Lahore.

    Nawaz will be visiting the Kingdom on the invitation of the Saudi ruler.

  • Saudi women allowed to drive trains between Makkah and Madina

    Saudi women allowed to drive trains between Makkah and Madina

    Saudi women have begun driving the Makkah-Madinah Haramain train.

    Saudi Railways also released a video of women driving trains and receiving training while sitting in the driver’s seat.

    Saudi Railways announced that 31 indigenous women have completed training to drive high-speed trains. The Mecca-Medina Haramain high-speed train is one of the fastest in the world.

    Saudi woman, Sara Al Shehri said, “I and my colleagues have been the first to have the honor of running a high-speed train in the Middle East, which I am proud of.”

    Noorah Hisham, another Saudi woman who completed the training, says that it is a job of great responsibility. The safety of those who come for Hajj, Umrah, and Ziarat is the responsibility of the Haramain Express driver.

    Saudi female train driver Shajin al-Mursi said that it is a matter of great pride to be part of the first group to receive train driving training.

    The Saudi Railway Company qualified more than 30 Saudi women as female drivers of the Haramain Express Train, according to Saudi Gazette.

    The women train captains have expressed their pride in having this opportunity to become the first female train drivers in the Middle East. They confirmed that transporting pilgrims and visitors gives them motivation to work with great care.

  • DJ Khaled, Mike Tyson perform Umrah

    DJ Khaled, Mike Tyson perform Umrah

    American singer DJ Khaled and former professional boxer Mike Tyson recently performed Umrah.

    “The second I walked into Mecca, tears came down my eyes. Tears of joy. My whole life I wanted to go to Mecca to pray and to give gratitude to Allah. I prayed for the world for more love, more life, more peace more joy, more health and protection for all of us,” wrote DJ Khaled while sharing a video of his visit.

    Mike Tyson reportedly accepted Islam when he was jailed in 1992.

    Earlier in the month, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was spotted at Mecca, performing Umrah. Photos and videos of him at the Holy Kaaba in Mecca were widely shared online.

  • PIA will now charge private Hajj pilgrims in dollars

    PIA will now charge private Hajj pilgrims in dollars

    For the first time in its history, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) would charge Hajj pilgrims flying on a private programme in US dollars.

    Airfares for pilgrims from the Southern and Northern regions are expected to stay in the $810 to $1,100 and $860 to $1,150 ranges, respectively.

    As tickets are also purchased abroad, the airline stated that fares in dollars would minimise the disparity. The PIA, on the other hand, would charge a fixed fee of Rs181,000 for return tickets for pilgrims travelling under the government scheme.

    During the Hajj season, the airline expects to transport roughly 14,000 government-sponsored pilgrims and around 16,000 private pilgrims. Pakistan has an 81,000 pilgrim quota, with the government typically taking 60 per cent of the quota and allocating the rest to private operators.

    According to sources, the government has received few applications this year and would only accept 37,000 pilgrims through the official plan, with the remainder of the quota going to private operators.

    Flights from Pakistan to Madinah and Jeddah for the Hajj were originally scheduled to run from May 31 to July 3. The Hajj has been postponed for a week because the government has yet to announce its Hajj strategy. From July 14 to August 13, the post-Hajj surgery would take place.

    The strength of people who go through government programmes or commercial operators is determined by the government’s Hajj strategy. It also establishes pilgrim quotas for airlines and private Hajj operators from each city.

  • Couple reaches Makkah by motorcycle to perform Umrah

    Couple reaches Makkah by motorcycle to perform Umrah

    An Egyptian couple travelled to Makkah on a motorbike to perform Umrah, Geo News has reported. The couple travelled 1,200 kilometres on motorbike to reach Makkah. Omar Abu Dawood and Asmaa al-Ganzouri covered the distance in 48 hours.

    Omar Abu Dawood says that his love for bicycles began at a young age and after watching videos of motorcycle enthusiasts, his interest developed further. To pursue his passion, he bought a motorbike.

    “Because there is no land road linking Egypt and Saudi Arabia, we had to take the ferry to the Saudi port of Duba,” said Omar while talking about the journey. The couple continued their journey to Makkah by motorcycle to perform Umrah.