Umrah app issues 650,000 permits

The fourth stage will see the Grand Mosque return to normal, when all the COVID-19 risks have gone away. (SPA)
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Updated 25 October 2020
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Umrah app issues 650,000 permits

  • Health Ministry reports 395 new virus cases, 17 deaths

JEDDAH: With the third phase of Umrah resumption approaching, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has so far issued more than 650,000 electronic Umrah permits as of Oct. 23, according to a ministry official.
This comes as part of the gradual resumption of Umrah entering its third phase, where 20,000 pilgrims a day can perform their Umrah amid strict social distancing measures aiming at stopping the spread of coronavirus cases, which have seen a sharp rise in recoveries.
Dr. Amr Al-Maddah, undersecretary at the Ministry for Hajj and Umrah, said in a Skype interview with Al-Ekhbariya TV channel on Friday that Eatmarna app had seen more than 2.5 million installations and 1.2 million registrations.
Al-Maddah said that the number of times a pilgrim could apply for a new permit to perform Umrah depended mainly on the availability of numbers allowed to enter the Grand Mosque.
“As per the gradual Umrah resumption plan, the main objective of the application is to organize the number of pilgrims available at the Grand Mosque. So, a pilgrim cannot register or book for another Umrah until he is done with the previous one, and that is because of high demand on Umrah permits these days,” he said.
He said that pilgrims who have been given Umrah permits but who later find that they have developed COVID-19 symptoms or come into contact with infected people can cancel their registration.

FASTFACT

The total number of cases in KSA reached 334,552.

“So far, over 165,000 pilgrims have performed their Umrah and more than 200,000 people have prayed at the Grand Mosque. These numbers could not have been able to do their rituals or practice their worship at the Grand Mosque if coronavirus cases had not dropped to reasonable levels. So, when pilgrims visiting the holy sites follow the precautionary health measures, this can help keep things under control and allow other Muslims do their rituals,” he said.
In the third phase, which begins on Nov. 1, pilgrims from abroad will be allowed to perform Umrah with a full capacity of 20,000 pilgrims and 60,000 worshippers a day. The fourth stage will see the Grand Mosque return to normal, when all the COVID-19 risks have gone away.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced 17 new COVID-19-related deaths. The death toll now stands at 5,281.
There were 395 new cases reported in the Kingdom, meaning 334,552 people have now contracted the disease. There were 8,276 active cases, and 788 of them are in critical condition.
According to the Ministry of Health, 85 of the newly recorded cases were in Madinah, 37 in Riyadh, and 32 in Makkah.
In addition, 417 more patients had recovered from COVID-19, taking the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 330,995.


Reconstituted Saudi IP authority’s board of directors approved 

Updated 26 December 2024
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Reconstituted Saudi IP authority’s board of directors approved 

  • Shihana Alazzaz, who is an adviser at the Royal Court, will continue to serve as chair

RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property’s newly-reconstituted Board of Directors was approved for a three-year term, the Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday.

In the reconstituted board, Shihana Alazzaz, who is an adviser at the Royal Court, will continue to serve as chair. She previously served as the deputy secretary-general of the Council of Ministers and was the first Saudi woman to hold the position.

The approval includes extending the membership of Eng. Haitham Al-Ohali, Eng. Osama Al-Zamil, and Dima Al-Yahya.

Badr Al-Qadi and Dr. Mohammed Al-Otaibi join the board as new members. 

Alazzaz expressed her thanks and gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their generous and continuous support for the authority.

She also thanked the previous board members for their efforts and wished the new members success.

The authority’s CEO Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, said that the new formation of the board reflects the continued generous support of the leadership for the authority, wishing the Board success.


Grand Mosque authority announces free storage for Umrah performers

Updated 26 December 2024
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Grand Mosque authority announces free storage for Umrah performers

  • Storage facilities are located near the Makkah Library and Gate 64

MAKKAH: Authorities in the holy city of Makkah announced on Wednesday free luggage storage for Umrah performers.

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque announced that free storage facilities are available to the east of the Grand Mosque, near the Makkah Library, and to the west, near Gate 64.

Umrah performers must present their permits through the Nusuk app to access the facilities, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Umrah performers can store bags, not loose items, weighing up to 7 kilograms for a maximum of four hours. Valuables, prohibited items, food, and medicine are not permitted. A claim ticket must be presented for retrieval.

The authority plans to extend the service to encompass all areas around the Grand Mosque to better assist visitors, the SPA added.


King Salman, Crown Prince send condolences to Azerbaijan president

Updated 26 December 2024
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King Salman, Crown Prince send condolences to Azerbaijan president

  • The King and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also extend sympathies to families of plane crash victims

RIYADH: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman each sent messages of condolence and sympathy to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday, after the tragic crash of a passenger plane.

The King and the crown prince also extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives onboard the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

On Wednesday morning, the passenger plane, traveling from Azerbaijan to Russia, crashed near Aktau, western Kazakhstan, with 62 passengers and five crew members on board.

Kazakh authorities announced that 28 people had survived.


KSrelief chief meets Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Updated 25 December 2024
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KSrelief chief meets Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia

  • Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah and Mazen Ghoneim discussed Saudi humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza

RIYADH: The supervisor-general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, met the Palestinian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mazen Ghoneim on Wednesday in Riyadh.

Al-Rabeeah and Ghoneim discussed Saudi humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Ghoneim expressed his gratitude to KSrelief and praised its strong relationship with the Palestinian people, the SPA added.

KSrelief initiated various projects to support Palestinian hospitals and humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing Israeli war.

Earlier in December, KSrelief sent 20 fully equipped ambulances to boost the health sector in Gaza.

It also distributed aid and food parcels that benefited nearly 3,500 Palestinians, some of whom were displaced in the Gaza Strip.


Saudi-Qatari security, military committee meeting held in Riyadh

Updated 25 December 2024
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Saudi-Qatari security, military committee meeting held in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani chaired the second meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council’s Security and Military Committee in Riyadh on Wednesday.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance cooperation in areas of common interest, to achieve the aspirations of the two nations’ leaders and people, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Saud praised the efforts made by both sides to achieve joint initiatives.