The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Saudi Arabia

  • Hajj: 400,000 illegal pilgrims banned from entering Mecca

    Hajj: 400,000 illegal pilgrims banned from entering Mecca

    Saudi Arabia has banned more than 400,000 illegal pilgrims from entering Mecca for not having Hajj permits, Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

    This was highlighted by the interior ministry during a news conference on Hajj security plans that were designed to accommodate more than two million pilgrims expected to perform Hajj 2017.

    Saudi Arabia has taken serious steps, including fine and jail terms against violators to ensure smooth Hajj operation for the pilgrims.

    The ministry also announced that until on Tuesday 1.7 million foreign pilgrims and around 200,000 domestic pilgrims had arrived in Mecca.

    More than 100,000 members of the Saudi security forces will participate in this year Hajj 2017 this week.

    Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman, Mansour Turki, said that the security services had dismantled a number of militant cells in Mecca and Medina over the past few years.

    Maj.-Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, a security spokesman from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior, said that strict measures were in place at the entrances to Mecca, Medina and other holy sites as well as airports and seaports.

    “So, we do not overlook the reality of such potential threats and we take all necessary preventative measures.’’

    Saudi security guards monitor screens at the national centre for security operations in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia August 29, 2017.

    Turki said the security forces had taken all necessary measures to prevent a stampede like the one that killed hundreds of pilgrims in 2015, without providing details.

    But he also urged pilgrims to abide by their assigned schedule for performing the sacred rituals.

    “Each group must abide by the specified paths assigned to each while throwing the jamarat,” he said, referring to one of the critical stages of Hajj, when pilgrims conduct the ritual stoning.

  • Saudi Arabia expects Hajj revenues to exceed $4.2bn

    Saudi Arabia expects Hajj revenues to exceed $4.2bn

    Saudi Arabia expected its Hajj revenues to exceed 4.2 billion U.S. dollars for the current season, Al Sharq Al Awsat local newspaper reported on Monday.

    A local study highlighted that the revenues are expected to jump to 5.6 billion dollars in five years due to the ongoing increase in the expenditures of pilgrims.

    The study recommended benefiting from the Hajj season by attracting foreign investments.

    It also highlighted the importance to consider the season as a tourism industry with respect to its religious aspects.

    Pilgrims mainly spend on accommodation, transportation, food and gifts.

    NAN reports that Saudi authorites say two million Muslims from across the globe are converging on Makkah for the hajj pilgrimage, a religious duty and for some pilgrims the journey of a lifetime.

    This year sees the return of pilgrims from Shiite Iran, regional rival to Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, and comes with the Gulf mired in political crisis and Islamic State group jihadists squeezed in Iraq and Syria.

    Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim nation, and it also provides the largest number of pilgrims for the hajj.

    NAN also reports that Saudi Arabia said the Hajj 2016 received 1.8 million pilgrims.

    The General Authority for Statistics in Saudi Arabia said that the 2017 Hajj has seen a total of 1,862,909 pilgrims, of whom 1,325,372 pilgrims came from outside Saudi Arabia, while the total pilgrims inside totaled 537,537 pilgrims.

  • 4,026 Katsina pilgrims perform lesser Hajj in Makkah

    4,026 Katsina pilgrims perform lesser Hajj in Makkah

    A total of 4,026  pilgrims from Katsina State have left Madina for Makkah, Saudi Arabia, where they performed the lesser Hajj.

    The Coordinator of the State’s Pilgrims Welfare Board in Madina, Alhaji Aminu Sanyina, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Madina.

    Sanyina said that the pilgrims were expected to be moved to Muna on Dhul-Hajji 8, 1438 AH (the twelve month of Islamic calendar) for the commencement of the Hajj rites, proper.

    He commended the good conduct exhibited by the pilgrims  during their stay in Madina and urged them to behave likewise in Makkah.

    NAN reports that the pilgrims usually go to Madina to visit the Prophet’s mosque where His grave is and the Baqe’ah graveyard where His wives and companions were buried.

    Other places of visit are the Mosque of Quba’, which is the first Mosque built in Islam.

    It is also recommended for a pilgrim to pray and supplicate in Quba Mosque, and the last place of visit are the graves of the martyrs of ‘Uhud’.

    The ‘Uhud’ is a big mountain in Madina where the Prophet and His companions fought a battle and over 40 companions were martyred there.(NAN)

  • Katsina pilgrim duped of $800 in Saudi Arabia

    Katsina pilgrim duped of $800 in Saudi Arabia

    A pilgrim from Katsina State, Hauwa Muhammad, has been duped $800 in Madina, Saudi Arabia.

    Hauwa, who hails from Kankara, Malumfashi zone, was swindled of the money by a fraudster who posed as an official of the Katsina State Government.

    She said the swindler told her that he was disbursing additional $100 to pilgrims from the state, and that she should give him her envelope containing her money in order to put her own share inside.

    “The fraudster said I should bring the envelope so that he will put together all the money for me.

    “I decided not to give him, but he insisted, and I later gave him the envelope.

    “When I realised that he wanted to dupe me, I asked him to give me my money, and he gave me the envelope and went away.

    “It was after he had disappeared that I was told that what remained in the envelope was only $9 ,’’ the victim said.

    The Amirul-Hajj of Malumfashi zone, Alhaji Yahaya Auwal, described the incident as unfortunate.

    Auwal lamented that the swindle occurred in spite of several advice and warnings to the pilgrims to be wary of such criminals in the Holy land.

    “It is unfortunate that our pilgrims are becoming victims of such circumstances day and night in spite of enlightenment efforts and warnings.

    “We will continue with the efforts and also continue to pray to Allah to protect our pilgrims against fraudsters,’’ he said.

  • Hajj: 4,580 Katsina pilgrims transported to Saudi Arabia

    Hajj: 4,580 Katsina pilgrims transported to Saudi Arabia

    A total of 4,580 Katsina State pilgrims have so far been transported to Saudi Arabia for the 2017 Hajj.

    This came less than three days to the closure of the King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jedda.

    Alhaji Badaru Bello, the Spokesperson of the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Madina on Thursday.

    Bello said that the pilgrims were transported by Max Air Ltd. in nine flights.

    “The ninth flight of the pilgrims numbering 554 landed in Jedda in the early hours of Thursday.

    “The Amirul-Hajj and the remaining Hajj officials will also be transported to the Holy land today (Thursday),’’ he said.

    He further said that more than 80 per cent of the pilgrims had already left Madina for Makkah where they performed lesser Hajj.

    He attributed the delay in the transportation of the pilgrims to the delay in the issuance of visa to the pilgrims by the Saudi authorities.

    “You know, no matter how you want to go to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, if there is no visa, there is nothing we can do.

    “So, the delay is due to the visa problem which has been resolved.

    “But I want to assure you that we are going to meet the deadline of Aug. 26,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 4,930 pilgrims would perform the 2017 Hajj from Katsina State.

  • 1,120 Nasarawa State pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia – Amirul Hajj

    1,120 Nasarawa State pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia – Amirul Hajj

    Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, Nasarawa State Amirul Hajj, said on Tuesday that the 1,120 pilgrims from the state had arrived in Saudi Arabia and were in good condition.

    Balarabe-Abdullahi said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.

    He expressed satisfaction with the successful arrival of the last batch of the Muslim pilgrims in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

    He urged the pilgrims to adhere strictly to the laws of the Saudi Government, to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

    According to him, “the first batch of the pilgrims are expected to leave Medina on Wednesday to Mecca in continuation of the Hajj’’.

    The Amirul Hajj said that the pilgrims would continue to pray for the unity and peace of the country.

    NAN reports that on Aug. 16, the 256 first batch from the state arrived in the Holy Land to perform this year’s pilgrimage .

  • Jigawa completes transportation of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia

    Jigawa completes transportation of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia

    The Jigawa Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board says it has completed the transportation of the intending pilgrims from the state to Saudi Arabia.

    Alhaji Ibrahim Hashim, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the board made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jigawa on Tuesday.

    He said the last batch of 390 intending pilgrims departed the Dutse International Airport on Tuesday at 12.31 a.m. by a Max Air Ltd.

    Hashim said with the last transportation, the Airline had transported a total of 1,481 pilgrims from the state to Saudi Arabia in an exercise that began on Aug. 18.

    Meanwhile, Gov. Muhammad Badaru, who bid the intending pilgrims farewell, urged them to shun any act that would contravene the laws of Saudi Arabia, throughout the exercise.

    Badaru also advised them to pray for peace, stability and economic prosperity of the country and wished them a successful Hajj.

    According to him, it is necessary to seek God’s intervention in the quest of Nigerians to overcome the present insecurity in the country.

    Contributing, the Emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Abubakar Maje, who is also the state’s Amirul Hajj, advised the intending pilgrims against engaging in any unlawful act during their sojourn in the Holy land.

    Maje also called on the intending pilgrims to respect the laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and avoid acts that were capable of tarnishing the image of the state and the country.

    He warned that any unlawful act, on the part of the intending pilgrims, could invalidate their Hajj.

  • Hajj: Saudi apologises to Nigeria over maltreatment of two pilgrims

    Hajj: Saudi apologises to Nigeria over maltreatment of two pilgrims

    Saudi Arabia on Monday apologised to the Federal Government  over an alleged maltreatment of two pilgrims by its security agents in Medina.

    The Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mohammad Albijawi, gave the apology on behalf of the Royal leaders of the Kingdom when he visited the victims at Wefada Al Zahra Hotel on Al Salam Street Markazziya, in Medina.

    He expressed regret over the unfortunate incident and assured that it would not happen again.

    The Deputy Minister said that Saudi authorities would never tolerate such kind embarrassment of pilgrims and would take measures to ensure all those who participated in maltreatment of pilgrims were brought to book.

    He added that Saudi would continue to ensure better handling of pilgrims, particularly while in the Kingdom.

    He said that the Kingdom was committed to deliver the needed service to Nigerian pilgrims and others around the world.

    He said “we shall continue to provide effective service to pilgrims.”

    “What brought us here today is the issue of the two pilgrims that were maltreated somehow by our security agents.

    “We are here to say sorry and regret the issue and assure you that such things will never happen again.

    “On behalf of the King, the Governor of Madina and all the royal leaders in this kingdom, we are here to once again express our apology to you for what has happened and to assure you that the Kingdom will never allow such a thing happen again.”

    The Deputy Minister restated the determination of the government to provide the needed services to the pilgrims, adding that the responsibilities of the Kingdom would continue to be upheld.

    He said the authority cherished all pilgrims and would continue to serve them by ensuring they stayed in peace throughout the period of Hajj.

    Amb. Umar Salisu, Charge d’ Affairs, Embassy of Nigeria in Saudi Arabia, said the governor of Medina informed him about the type of punishment that would be given to the perpetrators of the incident.

    “We really appreciate the action taken by the Saudi Authority to bring those people to book and continue to allow Nigerian pilgrims to perform their hajj rites without any fear of harassment, molestation and maltreatment.

    “According to Saudi Authority, this is happening for the first time and it will be the last,” Salisu said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that two pilgrims from Nasarawa State were allegedly detained and manhandled on arrival at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina on Aug. 19.

    It took the intervention of the Secretary of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON ), Dr Bello Tambuwal, before they were released

    Tambuwal, who is also the Coordinator of Medina Hajj Operation, petitioned the Saudi Ministry for Hajj Affairs over the issue and demanded immediate action on the perpetrators.

  • 4,026 Katsina pilgrims now in Saudi Arabia – Official

    4,026 Katsina pilgrims now in Saudi Arabia – Official

    A total of 4,026 Katsina State pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, spokesman of the state Pilgrims Welfare Board, Badaru Bello, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Madina on Monday.

    He said the pilgrims were transported to the Holy land by Max Air in eight flights, while another batch of 530 pilgrims out of the remaining 904 would depart later in the day.

    Bello disclosed that 70 per cent of the pilgrims are now in Makkah and had already performed the lesser hajj.

    He expressed satisfaction with the exercise so far, adding that all the pilgrims were in good health and performing their religious obligations.

  • Hajj Operation: We have not recorded any death, road accident – NAHCON

    Hajj Operation: We have not recorded any death, road accident – NAHCON

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says it has not recorded any death of any Nigerian pilgrim since the beginning of the SSaudi  three weeks ago.

    The Coordinator in charge of Medina Operation and Secretary of NAHCON, Dr Bello Tambuwal, made this known while briefing journalists on Saturday in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

    According to Tambuwal, the 2017 Hajj Operation is the best outing in the past 10 years of the Hajj Commission, adding that the commission has also  not record a single road traffic accident.

    He said that since the beginning of transportation of pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on July 30, a significant progress had been achieved by the commission in many areas.

    He said the challenge of transporting intending pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia was very minimal, adding that pilgrims transported directly through Medina International Airport and those that arrived through Jeddah Airport had smooth movement into the Kingdom.

    “So far, we don’t have serious challenges in the on-going Hajj Operation.  From my experience of the past 10 years, 2017 Hajj is the smoothest I have witnessed.

    “We were able to secure good houses and mostly within Haram area and we have not recorded a single road traffic accident or death of any Nigerian pilgrim,” Tambuwal said.

    The Coordinator said that as part of efforts to provide healthcare service to pilgrims, the commission had procured adequate drugs for pilgrims.

    He said the commission has established relationship with Saudi hospitals and any emergency that required specialised treatment would be referred to such medical facilities.

    The secretary also expressed optimism that all pilgrims would be transported to Saudi Arabia before the deadline for closure of airports.

    “We will continue to transport pilgrims directly to Medina because we have secured enough bed space here, then later we will move them to Mecca by road,” he said.

    Tambuwal disclosed that NAHCON had engaged the service of a dedicated transport company with new buses that have toilet and internet services, to transport pilgrims from Medina to Mecca.

    He said that a total of 43, 963 pilgrims from various states of the federation had so far been transported to the Holy Land.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 95,000 pilgrims, who registered through states pilgrims’ welfare boards, agencies and private tour operators, are expected to perform the 2017 hajj.