British Umrah pilgrim expresses joy at returning for Ramadan post pandemic 

Worshippers pray at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on the 27th night of Ramadan. (@ReasahAlharmain)
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Updated 30 April 2022
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British Umrah pilgrim expresses joy at returning for Ramadan post pandemic 

  • Haramain High Speed Railway has greatly reduced travelling time between holy cities, Dr. Hussain Anwar said
  • He described the hospitality of locals as “amazing,” and was given food by strangers to break his fast

LONDON: A British pilgrim who performed Umrah in Ramadan described the experience as “overwhelming,” and said it was “great” to be back at the Grand Mosque in Makkah following the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Following the lifting of most coronavirus restrictions in Saudi Arabia, Muslims from around the world have flocked to the holy city of Makkah to perform Umrah during Ramadan. The minor pilgrimage is believed to carry the same reward as Hajj when performed in the holy month.

Dr. Hussain Anwar, 27, performed Umrah on the 27th night of Ramadan which could have been Laylatul Qadr, the night on which the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Mohammed in Makkah more than 14 centuries ago.

Its exact date is unknown and it is believed to fall on an odd night during the last third of Ramadan. 

Many Muslims consider the 27th night of Ramadan to be Laylatul Qadr, and thus, the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah witness a surge in worshippers on the night. 




Worshippers pray at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on the 27th night of Ramadan. (@ReasahAlharmain)

It took 4 hours 30 minutes in total for Anwar to perform Umrah due to the amount of worshippers, and “there were people praying in the streets well beyond the boundary of the mosque” because it was “filled to the brim.”

Speaking to Arab News from the rooftop of the Grand Mosque on Thursday, he said that hearing the taraweeh and tahajjud prayers while performing his rituals was beautiful.

“Just being able to listen to the Qur’an while doing tawaf was an incredible feeling. By the time we started sa’ee, the tahajjud prayer was taking place so, again we were able to listen to the Qur’an being recited,” he said. 




Worshippers pray at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on the 27th night of Ramadan. (@ReasahAlharmain)

“That’s the main thing I missed all these years, being able to be here, perform prayers in the Grand Mosque, and listen to the Qur’an being recited beautifully — it’s great,” he added.

Anwar arrived in Makkah on Wednesday from Madinah, and was forced to break his fast in a taxi as roads were blocked off to control the crowds entering the Grand Mosque ahead of the 27th night of Ramadan. 

He described the hospitality of locals as “amazing,” and was given food by strangers to break his fast. 

“There were people walking around offering those who were stuck in their cars dates and water — eventually someone came to the car and gave us six burgers, so that was our iftar and suhoor sorted,” he said. 

He had previously spent a few days in Madinah and said that breaking his fast at the Prophet’s Mosque was a beautiful experience.




Dr. Hussain Anwar sits in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. (Supplied)

“Even though Madinah was busy, there’s always a sense of tranquility and peace in the city and there’s always an air of calmness despite the amount of people,”  Anwar said. 

“The people of Madinah are so nice and generous and at iftar time you get people pulling you to come and eat on their sufra to break your fast with them.” 




People wait to break their fast at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. (@wmngovsa)

He added that there have been significant changes in the way that people pay their respects to the Prophet in Madinah post-pandemic, which has made the process much easier for visitors. 

“It’s a lot more organized and you have to join a queue. There is also another queue to visit the noble Rawdah,” he said.

Anwar used the Haramain High Speed Railway to travel between the two holy cities, and also from Jeddah to Madinah when he first arrived in the Kingdom.

“The Haramain High Speed Railway is absolutely brilliant. It got us from Madinah to Makkah within 2 hours 30 minutes,” he said.

“We also used the train to get from Jeddah to Madinah when we landed. It was an amazing experience, very quick — it took us from Jeddah to Madinah in 1 hour 40 minutes, it’s incredible.”

Anwar has previously spent Ramadan in the two holy cities and said that the same journey had taken him between 4-5 hours in the past by road.

“This seems like a much safer and quicker option. The Haramain High Speed Railway is very comfortable and it was a very nice experience. So we opted to use the train again to travel from Madinah to Makkah,” he said. 




Worshippers pray at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on the 27th night of Ramadan. (@ReasahAlharmain)

“The economy class was completely filled out so we traveled in business class. It’s a very popular option amongst Umrah pilgrims and visitors because it’s a lot easier, you just sit on a train and it takes you straight there. There’s no stopping and starting, there’s no worrying about traffic, it takes you straight to the station so it’s great,” he added.

Anwar also commended the increase in women working in shops, hotels, train stations, and airports across the Kingdom.

“Before, employees would be predominantly men, but there are a lot more women working in Saudi Arabia now. At Jeddah airport, lots of the security personnel and Border Force staff were women and this is a good example of inclusion,” he said.  


KSA welcomes record 18.5m pilgrims in 2024

Updated 13 sec ago
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KSA welcomes record 18.5m pilgrims in 2024

  • Makkah Taxi launches to enhance pilgrim mobility
  • Fleet is expected to grow to about 1,800 vehicles by the end of 2025

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah announced that more than 18.5 million pilgrims visited Makkah and Madinah in 2024. This includes 16,924,689 Umrah performers and 1,611,310 Hajj pilgrims.

The minister revealed the record-breaking figures at the fourth Hajj and Umrah Services Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah, which runs until Jan. 16.

The event, themed “The Road to the Nusuk,” is hosted by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Pilgrim Experience Program, featuring more than 300 local and international organizations displaying innovations to improve the pilgrim experience.

The event included the launch of Makkah Taxi, a new transport service developed by the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Makkah Taxi began operations on Jan. 13, being introduced in phases for a smooth transition. The service operates around the clock with 47 locations around Makkah, including key stations and areas near the Grand Mosque.

Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al-Jasser presented the operating license to the winning company.

The fleet is expected to grow to about 1,800 vehicles by the end of 2025, enhancing transport services for Makkah’s growing demand, SPA reported.

Passengers can pay with cash or credit cards, with fares regulated by the Public Transport Authority.

The fleet features advanced surveillance systems, smart sensors, emergency buttons, and a dedicated customer service center for added security and convenience.

Saleh Al-Rasheed, CEO of the commission, said that the vehicles are environmentally friendly and highly reliable, operating on hybrid and electric systems.

This reinforces Makkah’s position as a smart, sustainable city that blends technological advances with improved experiences for pilgrims, Umrah performers, and residents, he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior is displaying security systems powered by artificial intelligence, equipment, and digital solutions for crowd management at holy sites.

The ministry’s pavilion highlights the “No Hajj Without a Permit” campaign, aimed at raising awareness of Hajj regulations, ensuring pilgrims obtain official permits, and supporting security and organizational efforts to provide a safe experience.

The Makkah region principality’s pavilion promotes awareness and regulatory compliance, while the Madinah region principality focuses on services for pilgrims and Umrah performers.

The four-day event features 47 discussion sessions, 50 workshops, and more than 130 speakers addressing sustainability, eco-friendly technologies, AI in crowd management, and opportunities for startups in the Hajj sector.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Umm Al-Qura University is organizing the “Humanizing the Holy Sites” hackathon, inviting students, entrepreneurs and specialists to develop sustainable solutions that enhance the pilgrim experience and reduce environmental impact. 


Saudi center’s robotic liver study earns recognition

Updated 30 min 30 sec ago
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Saudi center’s robotic liver study earns recognition

  • Prof. Dieter Broering, executive director of the Organ Transplant Centre of Excellence in Riyadh, led the study
  • In 2024, Prof. Broering performed the world’s first fully robotic left lobe liver transplant

RIYADH: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center has earned recognition for its study on fully robotic liver transplants, named one of the Top 10 Most Impactful Papers of 2024 by the American Society of Transplantation.

The study presents the world’s first series of fully robotic recipient liver transplants from living donors.

The paper, “Outcomes of Fully Robotic Recipient Living Donor Liver Transplant about the Open Approach,” highlighted improvements in robot-assisted liver transplants, including reduced blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and better cosmetic outcomes compared with traditional surgery, without increasing complication rates.

Prof. Dieter Broering, executive director of the Organ Transplant Centre of Excellence in Riyadh, led the study. In 2024, he also performed the world’s first fully robotic left lobe liver transplant.

Broering said that this achievement demonstrates the potential of robotic transplant surgeries, particularly for high-risk procedures, and underscores our commitment to safer, faster and more effective patient outcomes.

The study was published in the Transplantation Journal, a leading platform for transplant research.

The center has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 20th globally in the top 250 academic medical centers for the second consecutive year and was recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the region by the 2024 Brand Finance rankings. Additionally, it was included in the 2025 World’s Best Smart Hospitals list by Newsweek magazine.


Historic Islamic alliance pledges to improve access to education for girls

Updated 14 January 2025
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Historic Islamic alliance pledges to improve access to education for girls

  • Islamabad Declaration for Girls’ Education affirms girls’ education as both a religious obligation and societal necessity
  • Malala Yousafzai: I am imagining this conference as a beginning of a new journey, where we commit to a future for every girl to have access to complete quality education

ISLAMABAD: Islamic religious, political and civil leaders have united in a historic campaign to improve access to education for girls and women.

The Islamabad Declaration for Girls’ Education affirms girls’ education as both a religious obligation and societal necessity.

It brings together a diverse range of religious schools of law including Deobandi, Hanafi and Haqqani schools, as well as gender activists like Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai and political and civil society leaders.

The declaration was signed during a conference in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, convened by Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League and chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars.

“I am imagining this conference as a beginning of a new journey, where we commit to a future for every girl to have access to complete quality education,” Yousafzai said in a statement.

“I want to thank the Muslim World League. Your Excellency Al-Issa; you have brought us together to address the barriers holding girls back from their right to go to school.”

Al-Issa added that the gathering “will not merely be a ‘call,’ a ‘declaration,’ or simply a ‘statement of stance.’

“Rather, it will represent a qualitative transformation in supporting girls’ education — a change that will bring joy to every deprived girl,” he said.

Religious leaders who affirmed the declaration include senior figures from the Deobandi school in Pakistan and India, leading Hanafi jurists, and the presidency of Darul Uloom Haqqania, Sheikh Anwarul Haq Haqqani.

Others included the Grand Mufti of Pakistan Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani; the Mufti of Egypt Sheikh Dr. Nazir Mohammad Ayad; the Amir of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Pakistan) Sheikh Fazl-ul-Rahman bin Mufti Mahmood; the President of Ulema Council of Pakistan Sheikh Tahir Mahmoud Ashrafi; and the President of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (India) Sheikh Syed Arshad Madani.

“This gathering brings together the intellectual capital of the Muslim world not just to appreciate the enormity of the challenge we face, but also as a declaration of our resolve to overcome all these impediments,” said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In addition, the Muslim World League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation agreed on a number of practical measures to improve access to education.

One of these measures is an awareness campaign by a number of educational centers and scholars.

Another is a new Islamic Educational Alliance drawing on a diverse and influential network of religious leaders, intellectuals, policy experts and academics from leading Islamic universities worldwide

The Muslim World League will also partner with a number of international organizations including the UN Refugee Agency and UN University for Peace to further the cause of providing access to education for women.

The summit brought together more than 150 dignitaries from 44 Muslim and other friendly states, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Office.


Saudi foreign minister calls Algerian counterpart

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf on Tuesday. (File/SPA/AFP)
Updated 14 January 2025
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Saudi foreign minister calls Algerian counterpart

  • The two officials discussed regional developments and exchanged views on them during the call

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf on Tuesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The two officials discussed regional developments and exchanged views on them during the call.


Arabic-speaking students gain access to world’s largest collection of music books

Updated 14 January 2025
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Arabic-speaking students gain access to world’s largest collection of music books

  • Sheet music, songbooks and instrument method books to be translated
  • New opportunities for musicians, teachers throughout the region

RIYADH: Arabic-speaking students will gain access to a significant collection of international sheet music, songbooks and instrument method books as part of a new agreement.

The Saudi Music Commission is partnering with Muse Group, owner of Hal Leonard — the world’s largest publisher of sheet music.

Along with Dar Nasher, the partnership will bring Hal Leonard’s material to a Saudi and wider Arabic-speaking audience, which the group said will create opportunities for musicians and teachers throughout the region.

Mo Chandi, COO of Muse Group, visited Riyadh to formalize the deal. “This partnership is about creating a connection between music education and cultural identity,” he said.

In an interview with Arab News, Chandi discussed the importance of cultural relevance in music education.

“Understanding music is not merely about technical skills; it’s also about appreciating the cultural context from which it arises. If you don’t understand certain pieces, you miss out on their cultural significance,” he added.

Chandi highlighted the Saudi Music Commission’s commitment to developing an Arabic-first set of books that translate the language and adapt content to resonate with local culture.

“Our goal is to ensure that young musicians can connect with their heritage while learning,” he added.

“We have an opportunity to elevate Arabic instruments to an international stage, ensuring they receive the recognition they deserve. The goal is to create an environment that fosters creativity and cultural growth.”

The significance of representation in music education is also a key focus for Chandi. “By showcasing Arabic instruments and music, children in Saudi Arabia will find relatable role models, inspiring them to pursue their musical interests while staying connected to their cultural roots,” he said.

The immediate focus of the partnership will be to translate Hal Leonard’s titles into Arabic and make them available in schools and libraries across the Kingdom.

“This effort will benefit students and enrich the broader music community by making quality educational resources widely accessible,” Chandi said.

He envisions a framework where children can explore music from an early age, cultivating their talents and potentially leading to a new generation of musicians from Saudi Arabia.

“We aim for a future where Saudi children can gain recognition on the global music stage,” he said. “Every child should have access to music education, as it can change their world.”