Source : Arab News / 10 Jun 2014

Muslims should expect scorching temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius and more than 15 hours a day of fasting in Ramadan this year. However, the hours will decrease slightly to 14 hours and 40 minutes toward the end of the holy month.

Source : Arab news / 26 May 2014

An exclusive hotel will finally be opened Tuesday for pilgrims who miss their flights at the Haj terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA).

“A hotel has been established for pilgrims by the Civil Aviation Authority as per directives issued by Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah,” said Abdul Hamid Aba Al-Ari, director-general of KAIA.

Source : Arab news / 21 May 2014

Madinah’s Haj Ministry branch has launched an e-communication service on several social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, for the very first time.

The ministry’s branch has also provided a mobile number and a landline for addressing inquiries and complaints around the clock.

Source : Islam.About / 07 May 2014

Travelling for the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj) requires both spiritial and material preparation. Certain religious and logistical requirements must be met before one can set off for the trip.

Source : Saudi Arabia / 25 Apr 2014

Authorities at the Grand Mosque at Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque at Madinah will soon replace plastic water dispensers with stainless steel tankers in a bid to keep Zamzam water supplies sterile and cool for pilgrims ahead of the scorching summer months, said Maher Al-Zahrani, director of the Zamzam Water Division at the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs.

Source : Al Arabiya / 21 Apr 2014

Saudi Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabia told reporters on Saturday that the kingdom has confirmed 13 new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), pushing the total number of people infected with the deadly virus to 244.

Source : Arab news / 19 Mar 2014

Employees of the Kaaba cloth factory roll up their sleeves spending four hours every fortnight to clean the cloth covering the Kaaba to ensure it is free of dust from the ongoing expansion projects in the Holy Mosque. Employees work around the clock to meet the project deadlines of the expansion of the holy mosque. 

By Irfan Mohammed / Arab news / 27 Feb 2014

A temporary air conditioning facility is going to be provided for visiting pilgrims in the old part of the grand mosque area where expansion work is taking place. This is in view of the rising temperatures and the increasing number of pilgrims to the grand mosque.

The Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs is executing a plan to provide a temporary cooling facility to worshippers in the Ajyad area of the grand mosque in three phases, said Ahmed Al Mansuri of the Presidency of Two Holy Mosques affairs.

Source : Saudi Gazette / 25 Feb 2014

The holy city is witnessing an unprecedented increase in the number of pilgrims and visitors during the current Umrah season.

There has also been a big rise in the number of pilgrims visiting the holy sites of Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah as well as Islamic historic sites in Makkah including the caves of Hira and Al-Thawr, according to a report in Makkah daily.

Source : Arab news / 08 Feb 2014

The prestigious Makkah Integrated Transport System is gaining momentum in the holy city as authorities gear up to initiate the SR25.5 billion project by processing tenders which are expected to be finalized soon.