Ramadan’s success story visible in Makkah’s Grand Mosque

Each year, millions of worshippers travel to Saudi Arabia to pray at the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. (AFP)
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Updated 12 May 2021
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Ramadan’s success story visible in Makkah’s Grand Mosque

  • Authority tasked with keeping pilgrims safe in holy sites offers glimpse behind the scenes

MAKKAH: Each year, millions of worshippers travel to Saudi Arabia to pray at the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. Keeping these vast crowds safe and provided for is a gargantuan task at the best of times, but the pandemic has added many more layers of preparation.

Saudi Arabia banned international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage, or Hajj, in 2020, in a bid to control the coronavirus pandemic. Only a very limited number of people residing in the Kingdom were permitted to take part.

Now that flights have resumed and the Kingdom’s borders have reopened, worshippers are permitted to enter — provided they abide by a strict set of protocols.

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, which is overseeing these protocols, works year-round to improve the experience for visitors and staff.

Hani Haider, the presidency spokesperson, said in a recent statement that “immunization is an essential condition for performing Umrah and praying in the Two Holy Mosques.

“It is the first condition for applicants requesting permits to pray, perform Umrah or visit the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The permits are issued through the Eatmarna app or the Tawakkalna app. Entering the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah requires the Tawakkalna app.

“This applies to immunized people that have received their first dose of the vaccine no less than 14 days prior to their visit, and to people that have completely recovered from a coronavirus infection.

“Three tracks have been designated to the elderly and people with special needs near the holy Kaaba, while six entry points have been dedicated to pilgrims that are being allowed to the Mataf dish as batches through 14 virtual tracks,” he added.

Haider called on pilgrims to follow these tracks in order to ensure the smooth flow of movement, in addition to abiding by the preventive measures put in place to preserve everyone’s safety.

Many of these measures are carefully managed by the presidency’s Technical and Service Affairs Agency. Its staff distribute single-use Zamzam water bottles in the Mataf dish and squares.

They also oversee transport inside the Grand Mosque, organize the entry and exit of visitors, assist people with special needs, and supervise the equipping, disinfecting and perfuming process.

The agency coordinates the movement of pilgrims inside the Grand Mosque and its squares with a crew of observers to ensure COVID-19 containment measures are respected.

Its staff of 4,000 cleaners disinfect and perfume the Grand Mosque 10 times a day, using more than 60,000 liters of disinfectant and 1,200 liters of air freshener.

More than 70 field teams have also been formed to disinfect the Grand Mosque, its outer squares and bathrooms using carefully selected eco-friendly materials to ensure the safety of visitors.

More than 500 automatic hand sanitizing machines equipped with sensors have been distributed throughout the mosque as part of health precautions.

Meanwhile, the Transport Services Department has raised its readiness to serve visitors to the Grand Mosque by preparing more than 5,000 regular vehicles and 3,000 electric vehicles.

Stickers stressing the importance of social distancing can be found at distribution points, while other signs can found on vehicles to confirm they are disinfected before and after use.

The agency has also recruited more than 100 observers and deployed them at the Grand Mosque’s doors to welcome pilgrims, and guide them to their designated areas.

Authorities have allocated 10 doors for pilgrims, including the King Fahd Gate, Ajyad Gate, Safa Gate, Gate of the Prophet, Bani Shaybah Gate, Al-Marwah Gate, Al-Arqam Gate and Al-Marwah Bridge.

Security personnel are on hand to guide worshippers in case prayer areas become overcrowded.

One of the agency’s most important tasks is monitoring the operational status of all 200 escalators and 14 elevators, overseen by more than 90 Saudi engineers and technicians.

They are also in charge of checking the sound system, which is made up of almost 8,000 speakers, nine microphones for the imam and six microphones for the muezzin.

Additionally, the agency is in charge of conditioning the air in the Grand Mosque’s squares through water-spraying technology, absorbing the thermal energy from the outside air and lowering its temperature.

There are almost 250 spray fans spread across the squares of the Grand Mosque, which are used during prayer times when the Grand Mosque’s squares are full and the temperature is high.

“The state has mobilized all of its human and material capabilities on various aspects, including engineering, technical and services, to ensure the pilgrims’ comfort,” Kamelia bint Mohammed Al-Daadi, assistant secretary for women’s services and administrative affairs, told Arab News.

Her department has launched four initiatives to help improve security and comfort for female visitors.

The first is dubbed “Safe Sanctuary,” which focuses on managing the squares and transport services dedicated to women, providing name-tagged scarves, and raising awareness about preventive measures through a barcode system that displays incorrect behaviors.

Next is “Good Hospitality,” which manages the doors dedicated to women, welcomes pilgrims, guides them, and provides them with services in numerous languages.

The third initiative is centered on cleanliness, focusing on the disinfection of carpets in the Grand Mosque so that female pilgrims can safely and hygienically break their fast and perform Tarawih prayers.

The initiative’s logo is printed on all sanitized equipment and staff have all been trained to operate disinfection machines, and to distribute disinfectants and cleaning tools in female facilities.

Finally, the department’s Women Suqya Zamzam Unit is responsible for distributing water from the Zamzam well in sanitary containers to female pilgrims.

The General Department for Administrative, Planning, Institutional Excellence and Technology has also launched four initiatives to prepare its staff. The first, dubbed “Digital Flashes,” is overseen by the Technology and Electronic Services Unit.

“It consists of preparing and designing educational publications to promote knowledge and develop digital skills, and publishing them through various social media platforms on a daily basis during the holy month of Ramadan,” Al-Daadi said.

Another initiative called “Proficiency” is carried out by the Planning, Institutional Excellence and Quality Unit, and is designed to actively spread the message and vision of the Two Holy Mosques, and hold educational workshops.

The third, named “Rehabilitation,” is carried out by the Services of Temporary Female Workers Unit to provide temporary female staff with a rehabilitation program before the Hajj season begins and to celebrate World Manager’s Day.

“Lastly, the fourth initiative is ‘Enrichment,’ which is carried out by the Women Training Academy,” Al-Daadi said.

“It consists of organizing an awareness-raising forum that builds bridges between the female employees of the Grand Mosque and female pilgrims in order to raise the level of readiness.”


Built by hand, rooted in history: National Historical Palace in Taif is one man’s tribute to Saudi heritage and Islamic history

Updated 11 May 2025
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Built by hand, rooted in history: National Historical Palace in Taif is one man’s tribute to Saudi heritage and Islamic history

  • Built by Majid Al-Thabiti, the site blends Islamic history with contemporary design, rooted in the symbolism of the number seven
  • Spanning 70,000 sq. meters, the palace features seven museums, seven facades, seven gates and almost 7 million stones cut and laid by the man himself

MAKKAH: In the heart of Wadi Qarn in Taif governorate, one man’s vision has resulted in one of Saudi Arabia’s most striking heritage landmarks: the National Historical Palace for Islamic Civilization.

Built by Majid Al-Thabiti, the site blends Islamic history with contemporary design, rooted in the symbolism of the number seven.

In an interview with Arab News, Al-Thabiti said: “The number symbolizes perfection and completeness in several Qur’anic verses, including the seven heavens, the seven earths and the seven shaded by God in his shadow, among others.”

The palace includes flooring adorned with colored stones and inspired by the historical art of Sadu, an intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO.  (SPA)

The project was born out of Al-Thabiti’s strong will. He believed in his dream and devoted his effort, time and energy to bring it to life.

Spanning 70,000 sq. meters, the palace features seven museums, seven facades, seven gates and almost 7 million stones cut and laid by the man himself.

The museums offer distinct cultural and education experiences. Exhibits cover Islamic architecture, local heritage, plastic arts and sculpture, rare collections, astronomy, military history documenting the unification of the Kingdom and an agricultural museum featuring seeds mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.

The palace includes 600 square meters of flooring adorned with colored stones and inspired by the historical art of Sadu, an intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO.

Al-Thabiti said that he personally cuts, shapes and stacks the stones himself. “The manual labor is what gives the project its true spirit, as every corner bears (my) imprint, effort and dedication,” he added.

He used seven types of stone sourced from across Saudi Arabia, including basalt, quartz and shale. His attention to detail is reflected in features such as hand-shaped facades, floor mosaics inspired by Sadu art and stonework colored in seven hues that mirror the Kingdom’s geological diversity.

Majid Al-Thabiti used seven types of stone sourced from across Saudi Arabia, including basalt, quartz and shale. (SPA)

Highlights at the palace include an Abbasid-style minaret with a water fountain in honor of Zubaida, the wife of Harun Al-Rashid; an observatory used to track the crescent moon; and stone engravings of Saudi megaprojects like NEOM and The Line.

The site also includes engravings on stone of the Kingdom’s military vehicles, such as a fighter jet and ship.

Al-Thabiti also built a 700-meter sports track along the banks of Qarn valley, a stable for purebred Arabian horses, as well as replicas of symbolic gates like Makkah Gate, Taif Gate and King Abdulaziz Islamic Gate, with stones from Mounts Al-Nur, Thawr and Uhud. Other exhibits, like Diriyah and Yawm Badina (The Day We Began), commemorate key moments in Saudi history.

According to Al-Thabiti, his goal is to transform the palace into a cultural and educational destination that celebrates the Kingdom’s history and heritage.

“We possess a great civilizational legacy and a deep-rooted history. It is our duty to present it to the world in the finest way. This palace is the beginning,” he said.
 


Ancient terrace farming technique shapes Asir’s agricultural heritage

Updated 11 May 2025
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Ancient terrace farming technique shapes Asir’s agricultural heritage

  • Together, the thumalah and mughayyid systems stand as a testament to early innovation sustaining life in one of Saudi Arabia’s most challenging landscapes

 

RIYADH: For centuries, the people of Saudi Arabia’s Asir region have cultivated food on steep mountain slopes using stone terracing systems.

They began with the construction of stone retaining walls known locally as “thamayil,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Each individual wall, called “thumalah,” is anchored into bedrock and can rise two to six meters in height.

They serve as critical infrastructure for mountain agriculture by creating level growing surfaces on otherwise impossible terrain.

Each individual wall, called “thumalah,” is anchored into bedrock and can rise two to six meters in height. (SPA)

“The thumalah represents a stone containment system designed to capture sloping mountain terrain,” Ahmed Al-Bariqi, an architectural heritage researcher, said in an interview with the SPA. “After building the stone barrier, the enclosed space is filled with a mixture of clay, soil and rocks to create a flat, arable surface suitable for both farming and habitation.”

Local builders adapted to their surroundings, often reinforcing these structures with juniper and sidr tree trunks, as well as massive stones to withstand the pressure of heavy seasonal rains.

Water management is equally sophisticated. The “mughayyid” regulates irrigation and controls flooding by channeling water flow between terraced fields.

The “mughayyid” regulates irrigation and controls flooding by channeling water flow between terraced fields. (SPA)

“Ancient builders displayed remarkable engineering precision in the mughayyid’s construction,” Al-Bariqi has said in his book “Antiquities and Heritage in Bariq Governorate.”

He added: “Square or elongated stones formed the base structure, while carefully polished flat stones were placed at the top, precisely leveled to allow water to flow at calculated rates between terraces.”

Positioned at strategic elevations, the mughayyid retains optimal water volumes while preventing destructive flooding that could compromise the entire terrace system.

Terraces were reinforced by stone retaining walls known locally as “thamayil.” (SPA)

These terraces do more than support agriculture. According to Dr. Ghaithan bin Jurais of King Khalid University, they reflect a deep-rooted civilization in Asir dating back thousands of years.

“These structures preserve soil resources, establish clear property boundaries between neighboring farms, and historically served as recognized markers of family and tribal land ownership,” he said.

Together, the thumalah and mughayyid systems stand as a testament to early innovation sustaining life in one of Saudi Arabia’s most challenging landscapes.
 


Saudi, British foreign ministers discuss regional and international developments

Updated 10 May 2025
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Saudi, British foreign ministers discuss regional and international developments

  • Two ministers also discussed Saudi-UK relations

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday spoke with his British counterpart David Lammy, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The two ministers discussed Saudi-UK relations, as well as regional and international developments and the efforts being made in this regard, SPA added.

The call came on the same day as Prince Faisal's meeting with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Jeddah.


Saudi minister meets with UNIDO director-general

Updated 11 May 2025
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Saudi minister meets with UNIDO director-general

During his official visit to Denmark this weekend, Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met with Gerd Muller, the director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that the two men “discussed ways to deepen the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and the organization in a way that supports the goals of sustainable industrial development.”

Alkhorayef also held bilateral meetings with leaders of several leading Danish companies in the industry and mining sectors, according to the SPA, to discuss “joint investment opportunities, as well as the incentives offered by the Kingdom to investors.”


Crown prince holds phone calls with King of Bahrain, Emir of Kuwait

Updated 10 May 2025
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Crown prince holds phone calls with King of Bahrain, Emir of Kuwait

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on the phone with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the calls, the crown prince reviewed relations between the Kingdom and Bahrain and Kuwait, SPA added. 

They also discussed a number of issues of common interest.