Young Saudi volunteers step up to serve pilgrims in Makkah, holy sites

Volunteering in Makkah involves a wide range of services, including guiding pilgrims to and from the Grand Mosque, distributing water bottles and free meals, and interpretation for non-Arabic speakers. (SPA)
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Updated 14 June 2024
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Young Saudi volunteers step up to serve pilgrims in Makkah, holy sites

  • Nawaf Khayyat, chairman of the Makkah Guests Association, told Arab News that over 30 associations serve pilgrims

MAKKAH: Each year, large numbers of Saudi youths from all regions of the Kingdom come together to support Hajj pilgrims on their spiritual journey, with a wide range of initiatives ensuring that worshippers are treated as honored guests.

Pilgrims witness the creativity and dedication of the volunteers as they work tirelessly, utilizing their expertise, skills, and talents, alongside the accumulated experience of their supervisors, to deliver high-quality services to worshippers.

As part of Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom is encouraging volunteer activity with the goal of reaching 1 million volunteers by 2030.




Volunteering in Makkah involves a wide range of services, including guiding pilgrims to and from the Grand Mosque, distributing water bottles and free meals, and interpretation for non-Arabic speakers. (SPA)

Volunteering in Makkah involves a wide range of services, including guiding pilgrims to and from the Grand Mosque, airport transportation, distributing water bottles and free meals, translation for non-Arabic speakers, and overseeing all pilgrim services.

Nawaf Khayyat, chairman of the Makkah Guests Association, told Arab News that over 30 associations serve pilgrims.

The association, in its fourth year, has the support of Saudi authorities and provides wide-ranging services to pilgrims. It has launched more than 40 initiatives, with the number volunteers on the national platform rising to more than 1,700.

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Year-round programs focus on training tour guides and qualifying female workers to serve pilgrims during Hajj.

Khayyat said that the focus during this year’s Hajj season is on three key programs. The first, “Qiladah,” aims to educate bus drivers transporting pilgrims with the participation of university academics. The second is an enrichment program designed for tour guides, offering various educational initiatives.

The third program involves cultural guides working with domestic pilgrim companies in cooperation with the Coordination Council for Domestic Pilgrims. This program is developed in partnership with Umm Al-Qura University, the Hajj and Umrah Gift Association, and several other entities. It is designed to equip cultural guides with extensive knowledge and skills for interacting with the pilgrims, with over 200 cultural guides in attendance.

Year-round programs also focus on training tour guides and qualifying female workers to serve pilgrims during Hajj.

Ali Al-Youbi, a member of Al-Houda Charitable Association, said that their activities are centered at Al-Juhfah, a designated location for pilgrims entering a sacred state of Ihram. Preparations began at the end of May to welcome worshippers arriving from King Abdulaziz International Airport.

Over 150 buses, carrying pilgrims from Iraq, Syria, and African countries such as Niger and Nigeria, were received by the association. They provided essential services to pilgrims, including water distribution, refreshments such as coffee and tea, as well as flowers, sun-protective umbrellas, and containers to keep water cool.

Al-Youbi said that the association has constructed a photography gate based on a proposal from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The gate serves to commemorate the memories of arriving pilgrims, and features greetings in English, French, Arabic, and Persian.

During the Hajj season, the association focuses on feeding and providing water to pilgrims in Muzdalifah, Arafat, and Mina, in coordination with the Sqaia and Rvada Committee in Makkah. Their goal is to distribute 1 million water bottles and an equal number of meals over the course of six days. Additionally, they offer guidance and assistance to lost pilgrims.

Many professionals, such as doctors, teachers and engineers, join voluntary associations during Hajj to serve pilgrims in Makkah, attending to their needs, treating health issues, and providing the necessary amenities for a comfortable pilgrimage.

Jameela Al-Hathli, a female volunteer, said that voluntary work in Makkah has its own special character. She has been volunteering for three years, caring for pilgrims, providing gifts, attending to their health, educating them about rituals, and working in tourist guidance.

She said that initiatives designed to serve pilgrims provide round-the-clock care, guidance, and support. This includes answering queries, taking worshippers on tours inside and outside Makkah, and directing and helping them overcome obstacles they may face in the holy sites. Volunteer teams also provided courses in first aid and CPR, she added.

By offering this comprehensive assistance, the initiatives aim to enrich the pilgrimage experience, and extend a helping hand throughout the journey.

Al-Hathli said that voluntary work should come from a place of love and not merely for appearance or recognition. Volunteers focus on creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the pilgrims, ensuring that they feel appreciated and cared for.

To bridge language barriers and showcase authentic Saudi hospitality, the initiatives rely on volunteer translators proficient in various languages. This enables effective communication, and demonstrates the genuine spirit of welcome and hospitality that pilgrims can expect to receive. From the moment they arrive until their departure, pilgrims are accompanied, supported, and treated as honored guests.

 


Nonprofits central to developing education, realizing Vision 2030 goals — Al-Benyan

Updated 03 July 2025
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Nonprofits central to developing education, realizing Vision 2030 goals — Al-Benyan

  • Ministry has taken serious steps toward ‘humanizing’ schools and improving educational environment, says Saudi education minister
  • Riyadh hosts 2nd nonprofit education, training forum

RIYADH: Serious steps have been taken towards “humanizing” schools and improving the educational environment, helping raise the quality of learning, Saudi Arabia Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan has said.

The minister was speaking during “Promising Opportunities and Future Foresight for the Nonprofit Sector,” the main session of the second Nonprofit Sector Forum in Education and Training taking place in Riyadh.

The two-day event, hosted by the Ministry of Education, ended on Wednesday. Taking the theme “Qualitative Partnerships and Sustainable Solutions,” it was attended by government officials and stakeholders in education and training, as well as non-profit sector representatives.

The minister said that the school environment accounted for roughly one-third of the factors influencing educational outcomes, alongside curricula and teachers.

“We have begun improving the humanization of schools and are working to leverage the ministry’s programs to support the educational environment within an integrated vision that seeks to provide a healthy and stimulating environment within schools,” he said.

He added that the non-profit sector was a key partner, alongside the public and private sectors, in developing education and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. 

The ministry was working to develop teachers through capacity-building programs and ensure the quality of outcomes, said Al-Benyan, highlighting the establishment of a national center for curriculum development for the first time, in partnership with experts and specialized institutions. 

He also talked about the launch of initiatives to improve the educational environment and create attractive and stimulating school facilities, in addition to strengthening governance and accountability to ensure the sustainability of impact and measure returns.

The ministry established the Tatweer foundation to support the needs of teachers and last year signed 18 agreements encompassing more than 2,400 programs. It also implemented initiatives worth more than SR400 million through the Ehsan platform and contributed to providing more than 2,700 scholarships in cooperation with the Martyrs, Missing Persons and Prisoners Fund.

Cabinet decisions have enabled the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, to allocate buildings and sites to non-profit schools using new methods that help expand the scope of support and providing sustainable resources. 

The minister emphasized the importance of programs such as vocational training for teachers through the National Institute for Teacher Development and the National Curriculum Center to enhance the quality of education and promote community partnerships.

The forum also featured a “Volunteer Hour” in which several education, training and non-profit sector officials took part.

Other sessions included “Building Human Capacity in the Non-Profit Sector: Programs and Initiatives,” which discussed linking training programs to the labor market and the role of employers in identifying them.

“Empowerment Across Sectors: Enhancing the Effectiveness of Non-Profit Training” addressed mechanisms for improving the quality of non-profit training and the potential of the national skills system, while “Early Childhood in the Nonprofit Sector: Empowerment Opportunities and Impact Models” reviewed opportunities for expansion and excellence in nonprofit kindergartens. “The Nonprofit Sector and Programs for People with Disabilities” focused on the reality and expectations of nonprofit organizations in programs for people with disabilities.

The first day of the forum featured three specialized workshops addressing services provided by the National Center for Strategic Partnerships to empower nonprofit entities, while around 50 exhibitors the "Generation Alpha: Research Insights for Understanding the Next Generation and Formulating Inspiring Educational Programs" workshop by Ithra Center, and the "Empowering Nonprofit Kindergartens: Practical Steps" workshop.

About 50 exhibitors presented the opportunities they offer for collaboration in the education sector.


Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

Updated 03 July 2025
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Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

  • Evidence of Stone Age settlements in the region
  • Has Tapline, Kingdom’s first industrial heritage site

TURAIF: Located in Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region, Turaif governorate stands as a crossroads of ancient civilizations and a gateway to Iraq and the Levant.

The governorate is home to a range of rich cultural and heritage sites, many of which date back to pre-Islamic times.

Heritage Commission sign board at the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, located 40 kilometers southwest of Turaif governorate. (SPA)

Among the most prominent heritage landmarks is the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, situated 40 km southwest of the governorate.

Adjacent to it lies a mountain known as Aqran, also referred to as Duqrah Mount, which has been recorded under the Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Program.

Zahi Al-Khalawi, a member of the Saudi Historical Society, said the site is among the Kingdom’s most significant archaeological locations because there is evidence of human settlements dating to the Stone Age.

He said habitation at the site continued through the later Roman period (2 to 6 centuries C.E.) and persisted into the Umayyad era (661 to 750 C.E.).

Another landmark is the Trans-Arabian Pipeline, or Tapline, one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant industrial heritage sites.

The pipeline stretches from the east of the Kingdom to its north, passing through Turaif, and has been registered in the National Industrial Heritage Register.

Known as the Tapline, this oil pipeline stretches from eastern Saudi Arabia to the northwest, passing through Turaif. (SPA)

It is the first documented industrial heritage site in the Kingdom, representing the early stages of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and its developmental and economic significance.

Also noteworthy is the culturally significant site of Qaru Turaif, a water source developed by the Tapline Co. in the 1950s to help settle nomadic communities by order of the late King Abdulaziz.

To the east of Turaif, about 25 km away, stands Jabal Umm Waal, a historic landmark and northern gateway into the Arabian Peninsula.

The mountain tells the stories of Bedouin life and the passage of trade caravans and pilgrims traveling from the Levant and Iraq. For centuries, it served as a safe route for travelers making their way southward.

 


Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

  • Kingdom’s foreign ministry said the move would violate international laws

RIYADH: A government minister’s threat for Israel to apply full sovereignty over the occupied West Bank was strongly condemned by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom “condemned and denunciated” the statement made by the Israeli official calling for the imposition of sovereignty over the Palestinian territory.

Such action would be a violation of international law, the statement said. Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to expand settlements on Palestinian land, the ministry added, while reiterating the Kingdom’s position on the importance of Israel abiding by international resolutions.

The statement followed comments from Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin saying “the time has come” for Israel to apply sovereignty across the West Bank.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 and has built dozens of settlements, deemed illegal under international law, across the territory.

The Saudi foreign ministry offered its support for the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate rights and in establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

 


Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce has announced the recall of 88,518 Anker portable chargers across multiple models due to a potential internal electrical short circuit that may cause overheating and pose a fire risk.

The ministry urged consumers to immediately stop using the affected products and contact Anker at the toll-free number 8008500030 to arrange a replacement or full refund, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Consumers can check if their device is included in the recall and start the replacement or refund process by visiting anker.com/mmrc2506.

Users are also advised to verify the model number of their charger against the list of affected products on the Defective Products Recall Center website ecalls.sa.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to consumer safety and stressed the importance of promptly addressing product defects to prevent potential hazards.


GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Updated 02 July 2025
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GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi participated in the 39th Meeting of the Directors-General of Passports of the GCC countries, held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.

During the meeting, he reviewed the latest developments, including the Gulf visa project.

The passport departments of the interior ministries of GCC countries, through a series of joint meetings, are making efforts to launch a unified tourist visa project in the near future, the General Secretariat said in a report.

“Everyone is working as one team to keep pace with technological developments and security requirements in a world characterised by rapid change,” Albudaiwi said.