How Saudi authorities overseeing the holy Zamzam well have moved with the times

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Updated 07 April 2022
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How Saudi authorities overseeing the holy Zamzam well have moved with the times

  • Historians and geologists agree the well, located near the Kaaba, is at least 4,000 years old
  • Modern technology is being used to ensure the water is both safe for human consumption and continues to flow

LONDON: Zamzam water, drawn from the well beneath the Grand Mosque in Makkah, is at the very heart of the ancient beliefs that underpin the Islamic faith.

Yet in the 21st century, science and technology have been recruited to ensure that the holy water is both safe for human consumption and continues to flow to meet the needs of the millions of pilgrims who visit the Two Holy Mosques every year.

Historians and geologists agree that the Zamzam well, located just 20 meters to the east of the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, may be at least 4,000 years old.

Muslims believe it was built over the spring that gushed forth miraculously to relieve the suffering of Hajar and Ismael, the wife and infant son of the Prophet Ibrahim, who had been left alone in the desert at Allah’s command.

The 9th-century Sahih Al-Bukhari, regarded as the most authoritative of the collections of hadith recording the sayings and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, relates how Hajar, searching desperately for water, ran seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa before the angel Jibril appeared and caused water to flow from the barren ground.




Zamzam dispensing containers can be seen at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. (File/SPA)

According to the Saudi Geological Survey’s Zamzam Studies and Research Center, the name Zamzam “originates from the phrase Zome Zome, meaning ‘stop flowing,’ a command repeated by Hajar during her attempt to contain the spring water.”

Over time, the area around the well became a resting place for caravans, growing eventually into the city of Makkah, which in 570 CE became the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad.

At some point during the Ottoman era, the well was enclosed within a building. Over the centuries this underwent numerous alterations until it was finally demolished in 1964, when the Mataf had to be expanded to cater safely for the ever increasing number of pilgrims. The well was covered over and its opening repositioned in a basement 2.5 meters below the surface.

Within living memory, water was drawn from the well as it always had been — hauled to the surface in a bucket on the end of a rope — but today electric pumps can draw up to 18.5 liters per second. The well’s old mouthpiece, complete with pulley and bucket, can be seen in the Exhibition of The Two Holy Mosques Architecture in Makkah.

Zamzam water originates in the aquifer below Makkah — layers of alluvium (sand and gravel) above water-bearing rocks that absorb rainfall and runoff from the hills around the city.

Monitoring the level of the water in the well and the surrounding aquifer is the responsibility of the Saudi Geological Survey’s Zamzam Studies and Research Center and, despite the great seasonal variation in rainfall, and the ever growing number of pilgrims, the well has never run dry.




Five liter bottles of Zamzam water are prepared at the King Abdullah Zamzam Water Distribution Center in Makkah. (@ReasahAlharmain)

In 2013, the opening of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Zamzam Water Project (KPZW), built at a cost of SR700 million ($187 million), revolutionized the way water from the well was extracted, monitored, treated and distributed.

The water is pumped through underground stainless steel pipes to the KPZW plant at Kudai, five kilometers south of the Grand Mosque. Here, it is purified and sterilized, using filters and ultraviolet light, and the entire operation is controlled and monitored in a high-tech central control room.

After treatment, the water is transferred to one of two storage reservoirs. The first, at Kudai, has a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters and supplies water through pipes to drinking fountains in the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

From Kudai, a fleet of tanker trucks transports up to 400,000 liters a day to the King Abdulaziz Sabeel Reservoir in Madinah, which has a capacity of 16,000 cubic meters and supplies water to the Prophet’s Mosque.

Ensuring Zamzam water meets the highest international standards for drinking water is the responsibility of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque. Under its direction, 100 random samples are taken every day and tested for microbiological and chemical purity in a laboratory within the Grand Mosque.

Decoder

Zamzam Water

Drawn from the well beneath the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Zamzam water is at the very heart of the ancient beliefs that underpin the Islamic faith. Historians and geologists agree that the Zamzam well, located just 20 meters to the east of the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, may be at least 4,000 years old.

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Within living memory, water was drawn from Makkah's Zamzam well as it always had been — hauled to the surface in a bucket on the end of a rope — but today electric pumps can draw up to 18.5 liters per second.


EU delegation reviews Saudi efforts to combat extremism

Updated 26 November 2024
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EU delegation reviews Saudi efforts to combat extremism

  • Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology’s secretary-general, Mansour Al-Shammari, received the delegation and addressed several topics of mutual interest in combating extremism
  • EU members were briefed on the center’s strategy and its efforts to combat extremist ideology as well as mitigate its impact and messages

RIYADH: Members of the EU’s Political and Security Committee, including its chair, Delphine Pronk, paid an official visit to the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh.

The center’s secretary-general, Mansour Al-Shammari, received the delegation and addressed several topics of mutual interest in combating extremism.

The EU members were briefed on the center’s strategy and its efforts to combat extremist ideology as well as mitigate its impact and messages, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

They also learned about the community initiatives and international partnerships that promote the principles of tolerance and a culture of moderation.

The meeting was attended by EU Special Representative for the Gulf Luigi Di Maio, European External Action Service Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa Helene Le Gal, EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Christophe Farnaud and Saudi Ambassador to the EU Haifa Al-Jedea.

Earlier, the EU delegation visited the Gulf Cooperation Council’s headquarters in Riyadh and met Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi to discuss mutual interests and joint efforts to address global challenges.

Topics included regional issues such as Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Gulf security, Iran, maritime security in the Red Sea, Iraq, Sudan, the Horn of Africa and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The delegation also met Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir to discuss climate change, environmental cooperation and strengthening joint efforts in these areas. They also reviewed recent foreign policy developments in Europe and the Middle East.


Riyadh exhibition explores palm’s role in ancient cultures

Updated 26 November 2024
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Riyadh exhibition explores palm’s role in ancient cultures

  • Experts discuss challenges and innovations in date farming

RIYADH: The “Palm Tree in Civilizations” pavilion at the International Dates Conference and Exhibition in Riyadh, running until Nov. 28, highlights the historical significance of the palm tree across ancient cultures.

The pavilion explores how date palms supported food and economic sustainability, offering a historical journey through the ages.

It also showcases the palm’s importance in ancient Egypt through carvings and murals depicting its role in daily life and religious rituals, as well as in agriculture, construction, and fertility practices.

Organized by the National Center for Palm and Dates under the theme “World of Dates,” the exhibit also highlights the palm’s significance in Mesopotamia and the Levant, featuring ancient texts like the Code of Hammurabi, which protected palm cultivation, along with carvings illustrating their role in trade and society.

The 'Palm Tree in the Civilization of the Nile Valley' section garnered the attention of many visitors. (Supplied)

Artifacts from the Dilmun civilization highlighted the reliance of ancient Arab societies on palms for agriculture and trade.

The pavilion also showcases the palm’s symbolic role in the Levant, particularly among the Canaanites and Arameans, with depictions from historical sites like Palmyra emphasizing its importance in religious and artistic traditions.

Saad Alnajim, vice president of the Antiquities and Heritage Association in the Eastern Province, said: “Beyond providing food, medicine, and shade, the palm symbolizes belonging and pride, reflected in its place on Saudi Arabia’s national emblem.”

Saad Alnajim, vice president of the Antiquities and Heritage Association in the Eastern Province.

Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, chairman of the National Committee for Environment, Water and Agriculture, said that dates are central to the Saudi economy, with Vision 2030 aiming to make the Kingdom the world’s largest date exporter.

He added: “Today, the Kingdom is the largest producer and exporter of dates, thanks to the clear vision of the crown prince, whose efforts we are now benefiting from.”

According to the UN Comtrade database, Saudi Arabia exported dates worth over SR1.4 billion ($373 million) to 119 countries by the end of 2023.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics reported production exceeding 1.9 million tonnes, reflecting a 152.5 percent increase in export value since 2016, solidifying the Kingdom’s position as the world’s largest date exporter.

Meanwhile, a panel of global climate and agriculture experts discussed the impact of climate change on date palm cultivation.

The session focused on challenges such as delayed fruit maturation, reduced yields, pests, and pollution, and explored innovative solutions to address these issues. The panel emphasized the need for international cooperation and sustainable farming practices.

Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, chairman of the National Committee for Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

The discussion highlighted global best practices, including improved irrigation and smart agricultural techniques, as well as the importance of farmer education and technical support.

Recommendations included enhancing international collaboration, supporting research on climate-resistant varieties, and promoting awareness for sustainable date palm cultivation.

The exhibition offers a variety of entertainment activities, including folklore shows, regional poetry, and cooking competitions.

It also features a museum that takes visitors on a journey through the history of palm trees and dates over the past 1,000 years.

Additionally, a live cooking area brings together local and international chefs to prepare a variety of date-based dishes.


Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject a ‘generational investment,’ minister says

Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject a ‘generational investment,’ minister says

  • The world’s top oil exporter has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign fund

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject, a futuristic region being built in the desert, is a “generational investment” with a long timeline, the country’s investment minister told Reuters on Monday, adding that foreign investment will pick up pace.
“NEOM was not meant to be a two-year investable opportunity. If anybody expected NEOM to be foreign investment in two, three or five years, then they have gotten (it) wrong — it’s a generational investment,” Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on the sidelines of the World Investment Conference in Riyadh.
“The flywheel is starting and it will gain speed as we go forward, as some of the foundational assets come to the market,” he said.
The world’s top oil exporter has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as it undergoes an economic agenda dubbed Vision 2030 to cut dependence on fossil fuels.
NEOM, a Red Sea urban and industrial development nearly the size of Belgium that is meant to eventually house 9 million people, is central to Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia has scaled back some lofty ambitions to prioritize completing elements essential to hosting global sporting events over the next decade as rising costs weigh, sources told Reuters earlier this month. NEOM announced this month its long-time chief executive, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, had stepped down, without giving further details.
Asked what effect the departure would have on investors, the minister said the executive had done “a respectable job” but that “there is a time for everybody to pass on the baton.”
Asked if PIF will continue to do much of the spending on NEOM until more foreign funds come in, Al-Falih said it was not binary.
“I think foreign investors are starting to come to NEOM, they’re starting to channel capital. Some of the projects that the PIF will be doing will be financed through global capital pools, through some alternative and private capital. That’s taking place as we speak,” he said.
“So I urge you not to look at NEOM as being 100 percent PIF and then suddenly there will be a cliff and it will go private.”
Saudi Arabia, which is racing to attract $100 billion in annual foreign direct investment by the turn of the decade — reaching about a quarter of that in 2023 — has recently seen more co-investment deals between state entities and foreign investors.
“It’s always been the intent,” Al-Falih said of foreign inflows alongside state funds.
He noted that foreign investors were at times “still looking, still examining, still sometimes questioning,” but that now there was confidence in the profitability of investment opportunities and that “the risk-return trade-offs are very, very fair and positive to them.”


Saudi crown prince extends condolences to Kuwaiti counterpart on death of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah

Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi crown prince extends condolences to Kuwaiti counterpart on death of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a cable of condolences to Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on the passing of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Hamoud Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah.
In the cable, the crown prince extended his deepest sympathy to Sheikh Sabah and the family of the deceased.


Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation

Updated 25 November 2024
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Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation

  • Deemah Al-Yahya, head of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, commended Iraq’s investment in human capital as driver for growth and expansion of digital economy
  • Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy

RIYADH: Saudi senior tech diplomat Deemah AlYahya, the secretary-general of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, held talks on Monday with Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, about support for Baghdad’s plans to develop its digital business and artificial intelligence sectors.

They discussed Iraq’s strategy for digital transformation, and the need to create and develop a workforce with the tech skills required to help grow the Iraqi economy effectively, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Though Iraq is not a member of the DCO, an international body that focuses on the digital economy, Al-Sudani said his country is keen to work with the organization to meet the nation’s needs for a skilled workforce in the business sector.

AlYahya commended Iraq for the progress it has already made in terms of investment in the human capital needed to develop the digital skills that are essential to drive growth in a digitized economy.

Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy. Authorities this month organized the first Digital Space Iraq Forum, which focused on the use of advanced technologies, including AI, to help build a comprehensive digital economy.

The DCO says that since it was founded in November 2020, it has been at the forefront of efforts to curate policies and initiatives to support the digital economy in several countries. Currently, 16 nations are members, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Oman. It also has 39 observer partner organizations.

DCO member states have a collective gross domestic product of $3.5 trillion and serve a combined market of nearly 800 million people, more than 70 percent of whom are under the age of 35.