Jeddah airport’s Hajj terminal set to accommodate 310,000 pilgrims
A total of 1,535 flights carrying pilgrims are scheduled to arrive at the airport this Hajj season
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has promised to simplify all travel procedures for pilgrims and visitors
Updated 11 August 2018
HUSSAM AL-MAYMAN
JEDDAH: The King Abdul Aziz International Airport’s (KAIA) Hajj terminal in Jeddah is set to accommodate 310,000 pilgrims during this year’s Hajj season.
Figures released by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) revealed a 41 percent increase in the number of pilgrims over last year, with 1,535 flights scheduled to arrive at the airport’s Hajj terminal.
The terminal is equipped with high-tech facilities for receiving pilgrims as well as for completing immigration and screening procedures.
Hajj Terminal Passport Zone 4 was recently equipped with high-tech reception counters, and lounge No. 11 is designed for the pilgrims who have completed their immigration procedures at their embarkation points in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.
The aviation authority has promised to simplify all travel procedures for pilgrims and visitors.
GACA statistics released on July 30 show 651 flights have already arrived at KAIA, which is an increase of 7.3 percent compared to the last year.
The first Hajj flight arrived from the Indonesian capital Jakarta carrying 406 pilgrims.
The first flight from India transported 200 pilgrims and the first batch of 482 pilgrims came from Malaysia.
Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Muhammad Saleh Benten, Minister of Transport Nabeel Al-Amoudi, who is also the chairman of the board of GACA, and GACA President Abdul Hakeem Al-Tamimi conducted inspection tours to ensure all facilities for pilgrims at the Haj terminal were ready to receive passengers. They also inspected the new Jeddah airport.
Their inspection tours are in line with the directives of King Salman to extend the best possible services and facilities to the pilgrims, Saudi Press Agency reported.
A preliminary ruling sentenced him to one year in prison and imposed a 10,000 riyal ($2,666) fine
Updated 5 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: A Saudi resident has been jailed for a year for setting up an illegal Hajj operation with the intention of obtaining funds through deception via social media.
The public prosecution referred the defendant to the criminal court after he was found in possession of receipts connecting him to the criminal operation.
A preliminary ruling sentenced him to one year in prison and imposed a 10,000 riyal ($2,666) fine, along with the confiscation of all devices and tools used in the crime.
The public prosecution said the creation of fake Hajj operations was a major crime punishable by detention and added that it would continue to pursue those who broke Hajj regulations.
Meanwhile, Hajj security forces arrested 36 residents who tried to enter Makkah without the correct permits. They were referred to the relevant authority.
KSrelief completes pediatric heart surgery, catheterization project in Aleppo
Updated 04 June 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief has completed a pediatric cardiac surgery and catheterization program in Syria’s Aleppo, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Volunteer medical workers carried out the project — a part of the Saudi Amal Program for Syrians — which ran from May 16 to 23, the SPA reported.
The teams performed 28 cardiac catheterizations and two open-heart operations.
In addition, 30 diagnostic radiology services were provided, 30 laboratory tests conducted, and medications dispensed to 30 patients.
The project is an extension of the specialized volunteer medical initiatives carried out by KSrelief to help people in Syria.
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues food aid to world’s needy
Updated 04 June 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has provided 2,339 food parcels to vulnerable people in the Syrian Arab Republic and Sudan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Syrians in Aleppo received 1,339 parcels, while in Sudan’s Blue Nile State 1,000 were delivered for 4,686 people, the report added.
Saudi Arabia continues to provide much-needed aid to communities in crisis across the world, the SPA reported.
Saudi Arabia congratulates Bahrain on election to UN Security Council
Bahrain will begin its 2-year term as a nonpermanent member of the council on Jan. 1, 2026
It was elected alongside Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia
Updated 04 June 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi authorities congratulated Bahrain on Tuesday after the nation was elected to serve as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2026-2027.
The election of the country “confirms the international community’s confidence in Bahrain’s ability to contribute effectively to strengthening international peace and security,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
The Kingdom wished Bahrain success in representing the interests of the Arab group of nations within the UN and in carrying out its duties as a member of the council.
Bahrain was elected alongside Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia, all of which will serve two-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
The 15-member Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, consists of five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — plus 10 nonpermanent members elected by the General Assembly to serve staggered, two-year terms. Bahrain and the other newly elected nations will therefore join five existing nonpermanent members whose terms conclude at the end of 2026: Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.
What is the Hajj pilgrimage and what is Eid Al-Adha? Why are they significant for Muslims?
Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia and involves a series of religious rituals
It is also one of the Five Pillars of Islam, in addition to the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving and fasting
Updated 03 June 2025
AP
Once a year, large numbers of Muslim pilgrims converging on Saudi Arabia unite in religious rituals and acts of worship as they perform the Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam. They fulfill a religious obligation, immersing themselves in what can be a spiritual experience of a lifetime for them and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.
Here’s a look at the pilgrimage and its significance to Muslims. What is the Hajj?
The Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia and involves a series of religious rituals. It’s required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to make it. Some Muslims make the journey more than once.
It is also one of the Five Pillars of Islam, in addition to the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. When is the Hajj?
The Hajj occurs once a year during the lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar year. This year, the Hajj will start on June 4.
When the Hajj falls during the summer months, the intense heat can be especially challenging. Amid extremely high temperatures last year, more than 1,300 people died during the Hajj, Saudi authorities announced then. The country’s health minister said at the time that the vast majority of the fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims who walked long distances under the sun.
Muslim worshippers walk on the streets in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, June 2, 2025. (AFP)
What's the significance of the Hajj to Muslims?
For pilgrims, performing the Hajj fulfills a religious obligation and is also a deeply spiritual experience. It’s seen as a chance to seek God’s forgiveness for past sins, to grow closer to God and to walk in the footsteps of prophets.
Communally, the Hajj unites Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages, and economic classes from around the world in performing religious rituals and acts of worshipping God at the same time and place. This leaves many feeling a sense of unity, connection, humility, and equality. Pilgrims also show up with their own personal appeals, wishes and experiences.
Many pilgrims bring with them prayer requests from family and friends that they would like to be said on their behalf.
Some spend years hoping and praying to one day perform the Hajj, or save up money and wait for a permit to embark on the trip.
Ahead of the journey, preparations may include packing various essentials for the physically demanding trip, seeking tips from those who’ve performed the pilgrimage before, attending lectures or consulting other educational material on how to properly perform a series of Hajj rituals as well as spiritually preparing oneself.
A Muslim pilgrim prays overlooking the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque complex in the holy city of Makkah before the annual Hajj pilgrimage, June 2, 2025. (AFP)
What are some of the rituals that pilgrims perform?
Pilgrims make the intention to perform the Hajj, and they enter a state of “ihram.” Being in ihram includes abiding by certain rules and prohibitions. For instance, men are not to wear regular sewn or stitched clothes that encircle the body, such as shirts, during ihram. Instead, there are simple ihram cloth garments for men; scholars say the purpose is to discard luxuries and vanity, shed worldly status symbols and immerse the pilgrim in humility and devotion to God.
A spiritual highlight of the Hajj for many is standing on the plain of Arafat, where pilgrims praise God, plead for forgiveness and make supplications. Many raise their hands in worship with tears streaming down their faces.
Other rituals include performing “tawaf,” circumambulating, or circling the Kaaba in Makkah counterclockwise seven times. The Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure, is the focal point toward which Muslims face during their daily prayers from anywhere in the world.
Among other rituals, pilgrims also retrace the path of Hagar, or Hajjar, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim, who Muslims believe ran between two hills seven times searching for water for her son. What is Eid Al-Adha?
Eid Al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” is the Islamic holiday that begins on the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, during the Hajj.
A joyous occasion celebrated by Muslims around the world, Eid Al-Adha marks Ibrahim’s test of faith and his willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of submission to God. During the festive holiday, Muslims slaughter sheep or cattle and distribute some meat to poor people.