MANILA: When Fatmah Tanggol Guiling learned that she had been selected for this year’s Hajj, she could not hold back her tears. The moment she had waited almost 40 years for had arrived.
Guiling is one of around 7,500 Filipinos who will perform the pilgrimage this year, but for her the journey is not only the fulfillment of one of the five obligations of Islam — it is also a return to a place that played a significant role in her childhood.
“My mom and dad lived in Jeddah for more than 10 years. My dad worked there. When I was 12 — around 1986 — I was able to visit them there,” Guiling, a government worker from Marawi, told Arab News.
Guiling actually visited during Hajj that year, but she was too young to perform the pilgrimage, and since then the journey has always been too expensive — at least until Guiling’s relatives stepped in.
“Although me and my husband have stable jobs, we have four kids and there are other expenses, so it’s not easy for us to raise funds for the Hajj,” she said. “I cried when some of my family offered to help, because they know it’s my dream to do the Hajj ... This is one of the things that will fulfill my life — it’s a realization of my dream. And I’m now one step closer to it.”
Guiling said she was eager to return to Makkah — a place she has been unable to forget since she saw it as a child.
“When you’re there, it feels like you’re talking to God, face-to-face — especially when you are at the Grand Mosque,” she said. “When you pray and ask for forgiveness, you feel like He’s right there listening to you. I can’t explain exactly how it feels, but it’s overwhelming and you’re overjoyed, and you just feel like you can talk to Allah and tell Him everything and He is listening.”
Like most of the Philippine pilgrims, Guiling comes from the southern Philippines.
Muslims constitute roughly 5 percent of the country’s 110 million population, which is predominantly Catholic. The majority of Muslims in the country live on the southern island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago or the central-western province of Palawan.
The last of the special Hajj flights carrying Philippine Muslims to Saudi Arabia departed on Friday. The annual pilgrimage is expected to begin on June 26.
For some of them, including Jabber Lasang from Sapu Masla, a remote village in Sarangani province, the pilgrimage is also the first time they have traveled abroad.
“This (will be) my first time on an airplane. It has been my dream ever since I was a child to ride in one,” he told Arab News ahead of his Hajj flight.
Lasang, 24, converted to Islam eight years ago, and said he has memorized the Qur’an. His trip was sponsored by community members who were moved by his recitation of Islam’s holy book. He said he never imagined that, coming from a poor family of farmers in a mountain village, he would be able to perform the pilgrimage at his age.
“During last Ramadan, I was invited by an imam from one of the mosques who told me they were impressed by the way I read the Qur’an and that I have a good voice,” Lasang said.
“I was moved to tears. I am a poor man, and I really couldn’t afford it on my own.
“I feel so blessed,” he continued. “I have always prayed to Allah that I could finish studying the Qur’an and (that I would) be able to go to Makkah.”
Nomaya Guiling, 42, a pilgrim from Marawi, said she was prepared for trials during the pilgrimage. “These will test your faith and your love for Allah ... your patience, your focus, and your determination to complete the Hajj,” she said.
While she is nervous, and afraid to disappoint all those who have helped her to afford the journey, her strongest feeling is gratitude.
“Not all Muslims are blessed to go to Saudi Arabia for Hajj,” she told Arab News. “If I can finish this, it will complete me, even though I know I am not perfect as a person. But I can say I have done one of the most important things (that God asks of) us.”
Tears of joy and hope as Filipino pilgrims head to Saudi Arabia for Hajj
https://arab.news/zbtv8
Tears of joy and hope as Filipino pilgrims head to Saudi Arabia for Hajj
- Nearly 7,500 Filipino Muslims will perform the pilgrimage this year
- Last special Hajj flight from the Philippines reached Saudi Arabia on Friday
Saudi border guards seize 340kg of Qat
RIYADH: Saudi Border Guards have thwarted the smuggling of 340 kilograms of narcotic Qat in the Jazan region, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Land patrols in Al-Ardah sector confiscated the items and regulatory procedures were promptly carried out. The seized items were transferred to the competent authorities.
Saudi authorities urged citizens and residents to report any information pertaining to drug smuggling or related activities. Reports can be made by contacting emergency numbers (911) in Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern regions or (999) in other regions of the Kingdom.
KSrelief launches food program in earthquake-hit areas in Syria and Turkiye
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency, KSrelief, inaugurated a volunteer program to distribute food parcels to earthquake-hit areas in Syria and Turkiye, state news agency (SPA) reported.
The program aims to secure food baskets for 2,000 individuals in the Turkish cities of Reyhaniya and Gaziantep.
KSrelief general supervisor Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah inaugurated the volunteer program on Friday.
The program is part of KSrelief efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian and Turkish people affected by the recent earthquakes, the statement read.
Abu Arish Castle: An attraction for tourists and enthusiasts of history and ancient architecture
- Located 33 kilometers away from the city of Jazan, the historic castle in Abu Arish dates back hundreds of years
ABU ARISH: Jazan province is home to numerous historic castles that constitute a long historical legacy spanning ages and a significant civilizational and tourist landmark in the region.
They represent the society’s identity, values and traditions, which are reflected in the buildings’ details and architecture dating back centuries. They contain rocks, columns, pottery, writings, inscriptions and special decoration patterns, turning them into tourist attractions for charming nature lovers and human heritage enthusiasts.
The historic castle in Abu Arish, located 33 kilometers away from the city of Jazan, dates back hundreds of years. It is a prominent example of the region’s rich historical and civilizational heritage and one of its most significant tourist attractions for visitors as well as history and ancient architecture enthusiasts.
The castle is square-shaped with a side length of 40 meters. It is supported by circular towers found at each of its corners. The upper part of its outer wall contains openings used for observation.
The castle, some parts of which are still standing tall to this day, was built using burnt-clay bricks. Local building materials were used by skilled workers from the region to use burnt-clay bricks in building the castle’s walls, openings, towers and arches, as this was the most common style used in that region’s ancient cities.
The columns used in the construction of the circular towers were reinforced with rocks. These towers were used in guard operations and garrisons. This style was common in castles found along the coast of the Red Sea.
Additionally, stems of Doum Palm trees were used in the construction of the castle’s roofs. These trees are widely spread in the region, especially in the area surrounding the Jazan Valley in the south.
Decoration patterns were little used in this castle due to its main function, which tended to use architectural features and decorations similar to the ones found in palaces and residential buildings.
Saudi scouts showcase impressive passion for STEM at international jamboree in US
- Leader of US National Islamic Committee on Scouting commends Saudi scouts for their role in serving Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia
- The Saudi delegation is led by SASA Vice President Abdurrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Mudaires
RIYADH: Saudi scouts taking part in the 3rd International Muslim Scouts Jamboree in the US have stood out when it comes to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report said on Friday.
A delegation from the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association (SASA) are among the participants in the week-long summer camp being held at Camp Strake in Houston, Texas, which opened on June 30 and will end on July 6. The jamboree is organized by the National Islamic Committee on Scouting under the supervision of Boy Scouts of America.
On Thursday, the activities included a competition in the basics of electrical and electronic engineering and designing robots using specialized software and hardware, including automatically and logically controlling the robot’s movements.
Aside from showing passing in STEM activities, the Saudi delegation also showed passion in developing their research and innovation skills, the report said.
Scouts participating in the jamboree also received training on the best way to safely drive motorcycles. They compete in scouting leadership and ways to build gates, flagpoles, fences and bridges using wood, along with the correct use of knots, ties and loops to fix them in place, as well as in building cooking ovens and are taught the correct way to light fires.
Other activities listed in the summer camp include visiting NASA in Houston, workshops, and exploring hobbies such as canoeing, swimming and climbing. Leaders of the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association said the group participates in the global camp “to highlight the Kingdom’s role in the Islamic world, promote values of love and peace, showcase the Kingdom and its progress, and facilitate cultural exchange and learning about civilizations.”
On Tuesday, scout leader Syed Ehtesham Naqvi, president of the US National Islamic Committee on Scouting, took the occasion to commend the efforts and services provided by the Saudi government to serve Muslim pilgrims, Umrah performers, and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, facilitating their performance of rituals.
He made the remarks when he visited the Saudi scouting delegation on the third day of the jamboree at Camp Strake, SPA said in a separate report.
Meeting with the delegation led by SASA Vice President Abdurrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Mudaires, Naqvi also commended the Saudi scouts for their role in serving pilgrims.
While scouting was officially founded in Saudi Arabia in 1961, scouting activities in the Kingdom started as early as 1943, according to writings about the international movement.
How Saudi Arabia is harnessing its abundance of renewable energy resources
- Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in diversifying its energy mix towards renewables to help cut carbon emissions
- With a focus on wind and solar, the Kingdom aims to source 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030
RIYADH: With a goal of sourcing at least 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in diversifying its energy mix toward renewable sources to meet its pledge to cut carbon emissions and promote sustainable development.
To promote public understanding of renewable energy technologies and to advance the goals of Vision 2030, the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy launched the Mishkat Interactive Center for Atomic and Renewable Energy in Riyadh in 2017.
“The National Renewable Energy Program, with all its achieved and under-construction projects, really reflects how promising this strategic initiative is to fulfill Vision 2030,” Reham Aldous, the center’s content and program development manager, told Arab News.
Wind
Saudi Arabia has immense wind energy potential, particularly in its northwestern and coastal regions. The Kingdom has set a target of producing 50 gigawatts of wind energy capacity by 2030.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia inaugurated its first commercial-scale wind farm, the 400-megawatt Dumat Al-Jandal project, which is currently the largest in the Middle East. Additional large-scale wind projects are in the pipeline.
Solar
As one of the sunniest countries in the world, Saudi Arabia has an abundance of solar energy resources. The country aims to install 50 GW of solar capacity by 2030.
Major projects include the 300-MW Sakaka solar plant, the 420-MW Sudair solar park, and the planned 2-GW Al-Shuaibah solar project. Saudi Arabia is also exploring innovative applications like floating solar farms on its reservoirs.
Inaugurated in 2021, the Sakaka Solar Power Plant in Al-Jouf uses photovoltaic technology. Made up of more than 1.2 million solar panels arranged across 6 sq. km, it produces low-cost energy at just $0.023 per kWh.
Besides using photovoltaic cells to capture the sun’s rays, another method is thermal solar energy, where mirrors focus sunlight in a specific spot to collect and concentrate it, allowing for the production of very high temperatures, which are used to generate electricity.
Hydro
Although Saudi Arabia’s hydropower potential is limited due to its limited moving bodies of water, the country does have some small-scale hydroelectric facilities.
The Baisha Dam in the southwest generates about 2.1 MW of power. Saudi Arabia is also investigating the potential for pumped storage hydropower projects.
Geothermal
Saudi Arabia has begun to explore its geothermal energy resources, particularly in the volcanic areas of the Hijaz and Asir mountains.
Pilot projects are underway to assess the viability of geothermal power generation in the Kingdom. Early estimates suggest a potential of up to 3 GW of geothermal capacity.
Bio
Saudi Arabia has made strides in developing its bioenergy sector, focusing primarily on biofuels.
The Kingdom aims to produce 9.5 million liters of bioethanol and 0.3 million liters of biodiesel annually by 2030. Agricultural and municipal waste-to-energy projects are also being explored.
Wind, biofuels, geothermal, and thermal solar energy all use the kinetic energy produced by these resources to move turbines, either directly or by heating water to create steam, thereby generating electricity.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy has been the driving force behind the country’s renewable energy transformation.
Opinion
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The ministry has set clean energy targets, launched competitive bidding for projects, and partnered with local and international stakeholders to develop a robust renewable energy sector.
Through strategic policies, dedicated funding, and collaborative efforts, the Ministry of Energy has been instrumental in positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional leader in the global shift toward sustainable power generation.
DID YOUKNOW?
Saudi Arabia is developing some of the world’s largest solar projects, including its Sakaka plant in Al-Jouf.
The Kingdom is developing large-scale wind farms, such as the 400 MW Dumat Al-Jandal wind project.
It is also exploring the potential for ‘green hydrogen’ — produced using renewable energy sources.
The ministry’s comprehensive approach to renewable energy integration has been crucial in diversifying the Kingdom’s energy mix and securing its long-term energy future.
Much of this success, however, is owed to Saudi Arabia’s geography, said Aldous of the Mishkat Interactive Center.
“The Kingdom is characterized by an abundance of renewable energy resources,” she said, “highlighting solar energy and wind energy as the main two green energy resources with great potential.”
