Hajj 1444 begins as 2m pilgrims converge on Mina for ‘spiritual journey of lifetime’

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Updated 27 June 2023
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Hajj 1444 begins as 2m pilgrims converge on Mina for ‘spiritual journey of lifetime’

  • Following traditions of Prophet Muhammad, pilgrims spent first day of pilgrimage in prayer to make amends for their sins
  • They will overnight make their final preparations before standing before God on the plains of Mount Arafat on Tuesday

MINA: About 2 million pilgrims converged on the tent city of Mina on Monday morning to begin the spiritual journey of a lifetime, as the sacred pilgrimage of Hajj 1444 got underway.

By evening, the site reverberated to the sound of the pilgrims’ reciting Talbiyah, their prayer of intent to perform Hajj for the glory of Allah. Men wearing traditional seamless white cotton garments and women in abayas uttered the words, “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (Oh God, here I am answering your call),” as they streamed into the massive site, about 8 kilometers northeast of the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

Following the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, the pilgrims spent the first day of the pilgrimage, called Tarwiyah Day, engaged in supplications to make amends for their sins. They offered Dhuhr, Asr, Maghreb and Isha prayers, and overnight will make their final preparations before standing before God (wuqoof) on the plains of Mount Arafat on Tuesday.

After the dawn (Fajr) prayer on Tuesday, the pilgrims will leave for Mount Arafat, where the Prophet delivered his final sermon more than 1,400 years ago.

This year marks the return to a full-scale Hajj for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and Saudi authorities have put thorough plans in place to ensure the safe and flawless movement of pilgrims. More than 2 million are expected in total, including 1.6 million from other countries.




A member of security sprays water on a Muslim pilgrim upon his arrival in Mina, near Islam's holy city of Mecca on June 26, 2023, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AN Photo by Huda Bashatah)

Those Arab News spoke to had nothing but praise for officials’ efforts to make their Hajj experience as easy, pleasant and spiritual as possible.

Mohammed Hammad, from Nigeria, said: “I really feel great to be closer to the Almighty. This is a good opportunity to interact directly with the Almighty, and pray for good, peace and prosperity.”

Mohammed Nauman, from Afghanistan, said: “I am thankful to the Almighty Allah for this beautiful opportunity to perform Hajj. I don’t have words to express my feelings. May the Almighty make it easy for us all who are here and accept our Hajj.

“We will pray and recite the verses from the Qur’an here at the tent city and at Mount Arafat tomorrow, then will spend next night in Muzdalifah.”

Besides the logistical challenges of safely moving so many people from one location to another over the course of several days during Hajj, the searing heat, with temperatures of around 43 degrees Celsius, adds another layer of complexity.

“We have taken all precautions; we have doctors here ready to help if needed,” said Hafizullah, a pilgrim from Afghanistan.




A member of security helps Muslim pilgrims in Mina, near Islam's holy city of Mecca on June 26, 2023, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AN Photo by Huda Bashatah)

“This is a very special moment of spiritual joy that cannot be described. I am close to the Almighty, being in his house. Making the pilgrimage empowered me and made me stronger.”

Abdulhafeed Al-Hamad from Sweden praised the amenities and services provided by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

“This (is my first time at Hajj and) I’m so hopeful and happy everything is going well,” he said. “It’s very nice to see all of these people … and the good planning, and there were no problems.

“I’m so glad to be here. I applied for many years but because of the coronavirus three years ago we couldn’t come. Now we made it, we did it.”

On Monday afternoon, Saudi officials gave updates on the arrival of pilgrims in Makkah and Mina, and reiterated their commitment to the health and safety of all those attending Hajj.

Talal Al-Shalhoub, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, confirmed the transportation of pilgrims to Mina was complete and they would remain there overnight in preparation for their visit to Mount Arafat on Tuesday.

Ayed Al-Gwenem, undersecretary at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, said 65 percent of all pilgrims completed the journey to Mina and the rest will be taken directly to Mount Arafat.




Muslim pilgrims arrive in Mina, near Islam's holy city of Mecca on June 26, 2023, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AN Photo by Huda Bashatah)

Mohammed Al-Abdulali, spokesman of the Ministry of Health, said more than 32 hospitals with a capacity of more than 6,000 beds stand ready to serve the healthcare needs of pilgrims.

Hajj, which takes place during the month of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th and the final month of the Islamic calendar, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and every Muslim who is physically and financially able to do so is obliged to complete it at least once in their life.

The first step for a male pilgrim on first day of Hajj is to dress in the traditional white, seamless, two-piece garment, and enter a sacred state of “Ihram.” Women wear loose-fitting clothes and cover their hair.

Hajj lasts for five days. It officially begins on the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah. After Fajr prayers in Makkah, pilgrims travel to Mina, which is about 8 kilometers away. They spend the day and night there praying and reciting verses from the Qur’an.

The following day, pilgrims make their way to Arafat and remain on the desert plains, praying and repenting, until after sunset. This is the single most important day of Hajj and pilgrims who miss it are considered not to have completed the pilgrimage.

Pilgrims then make their way to Muzdalifah, a valley between Mina and Mount Arafat, where they spend the night in the open and gather small pebbles to be used during a special ritual the following day.

After Fajr prayers on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, pilgrims travel from Muzdalifah to Jamarat, where they throw the pebbles they collected at three pillars representing the Devil. Women and older people can delegate this responsibility to a man.

Men are then required to shave their heads, and women to cut off a lock of their hair, as they do after Umrah. Pilgrims are also required to sacrifice an animal and share the meat with people in need. Those unable to personally perform the sacrifice can delegate the task. Pilgrims then travel back to Makkah and the Grand Mosque.


KSrelief opens obstetrics and gynecology clinic at Gaza hospital

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KSrelief opens obstetrics and gynecology clinic at Gaza hospital

  • The Saudi aid agency launched the new facility in partnership with the UN Population Fund, which works to improve reproductive and maternal health worldwide
  • The clinic is in the Patient Friends Benevolent Society Hospital, which was founded in 1980 in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighborhood

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has officially opened a gynecology and obstetrics clinic at the Patient Friends Benevolent Society Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

Founded in 1980, the hospital in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighborhood is one of the few that remain operational in the territory amid devastating attacks by Israeli forces during their ongoing war with Hamas, which began in October 2023.

KSrelief opened the clinic on Wednesday in cooperation with the UN Population Fund, which works to improve reproductive and maternal health worldwide. The initiative is part of Saudi efforts to support the Palestinian people and help improve and maintain the healthcare services available to them, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

On Thursday, Saudi authorities delivered $30 million in funding to the Palestinian Authority. It was the latest installment in ongoing financial support from the Kingdom that Palestinian officials said has been instrumental in efforts to maintain the health and education sectors. It has helped meet the costs of running hospitals, purchasing medicines and medical equipment, keeping schools open, and providing other essential services.
 

KSrelief inaugurates the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic in a Palestinian hospital in the Gaza Strip. (SPA)

 


How AI-powered voice tech is bringing Arabic-language content to global audiences

Updated 27 June 2025
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How AI-powered voice tech is bringing Arabic-language content to global audiences

  • CAMB.AI and Saudi Arabia’s MBC Group have launched a partnership, applying context-aware, real-time translation
  • AI voice tech preserves tone, emotion, and nuance, transforming how Arabic content is localized across 150+ languages

JEDDAH: Dubai-based artificial intelligence company CAMB.AI is revolutionizing language localization by building advanced voice and translation models that preserve emotion, nuance and cultural context — especially in complex languages like Arabic.

Through a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s MBC Group, CAMB.AI is scaling this technology across entertainment, education, and spiritual content — unlocking a new era of accessibility for Arabic media.

“At CAMB.AI, we have built translation and voice models that adapt to the nature of the desired language rather than merely mimicking the input,” Akshat Prakash, the company’s chief technical officer and co-founder told Arab News.

Camb.AI chief technical officer and co-founder Akshat Prakash. (Supplied)

“Whether it’s the emotion in the voice or the way certain things are said in Arabic, we are dedicated to preserving nuances, emotions and prosody to deliver what we call a ‘performance-to-performance’ impact.

“We take content and deliver a fully packaged performance through our localization infrastructure built on top of our proprietary AI models — BOLI and MARS.”

CAMB.AI successfully generated multilingual commentary for an MLS NEXT Pro match using AI-driven real-time voice translation and dubbing technology.

Its core capability lies in an AI dubbing platform that instantaneously translates live audio (such as play-by-play commentary) into multiple languages.

The language generator preserves the original speaker’s voice, tone and emotion — making it feel as if the original commentator is speaking the listener’s native language.

“Solving live sports streaming first led us to create technology that could handle the hardest type of content,” said Prakash.

“Today, we livestream games in multiple languages alongside some of the biggest brands in the world — like Major League Soccer, Eurovision and the Australian Open.

“We can perform equally well on other types of content. For instance, we’ve translated complex performances such as the Nayla Al Khaja-directed psychological thriller, ‘Three,’ which was showcased at the Red Sea Film Festival.”

The film was the first Arabic movie to be AI-dubbed into Mandarin Chinese and other complex languages, preserving nuances, context, and emotion while staying true to the director’s original vision.

Today, CAMB.AI excels at delivering culturally and contextually sensitive adaptations of original performances — while maintaining realism — in over 150 languages.

“No technology on the market offers such diversity, realism, and public proof points of what AI can enable in hyper-realistic translation. We’re proud to extend this work to every Arabic dialect — something no other technology has been able to do,” Prakash said.

As global demand for non-English content continues to rise, IMAX is turning to AI to localize its original films and documentaries more efficiently.

In partnership with CAMB.AI, it has delivered content in multiple languages, demonstrating the power of technology to translate complex, dramatic material.

“CAMB.AI has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible — creating AI that delivers real value in the form of revenue and cost efficiencies to global content owners and distributors,” said Prakash.

“We’ve learned that deploying AI requires a hand-in-hand partnership. It takes not only great technology but also great partners who are willing to explore the uncharted. MBC is exactly that kind of partner for us in MENA, establishing what is probably the biggest MediaXAI deal since Runway x Lionsgate.”

Prakash explained that partnering with MBC Group was a natural decision due to its vast scale, diverse content library, and strong regional presence. More significantly, the collaboration was rooted in a shared set of values.

This partnership goes beyond the Runway x Lionsgate deal and sets a new benchmark for how media and AI can collaborate.

MBC Group and CAMB.AI have also taken the lead in regional innovation. With projects like Stargate and HUMAIN, the Middle East and North Africa region is quickly becoming a global hub for powerful, homegrown AI.

Prakash emphasized that CAMB.AI has remained extremely conscious of privacy, data protection and respect for individual attributes.

“While regulatory frameworks are still developing, we have been self-regulating to respect individual rights and content ownership. We drive our business ethically,” he said.

“Our foundation is simple: Not everyone can be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”

With one of the most comprehensive Arabic content libraries in the world, MBC Group is uniquely positioned to support more advanced and accurate AI outcomes in this space

Fadel Zahreddine, director for emerging technology at MBC. (Supplied)

The emerging technology team at MBC, led by Fadel Zahreddine, is at the forefront of innovation, aligning perfectly with CAMB.AI’s mission.

“Our content spans the full spectrum of Arab identity, from Gulf dialects to Levantine, North African, and everything in between, capturing not just language, but also tone, emotion and social nuance,” Zahreddine told Arab News.

“Through this collaboration with CAMB.AI, we see an opportunity to contribute data that is not only linguistically rich but also responsibly curated. Our multimodal archive, covering video, audio and text, offers a strong foundation for advanced AI applications that are more contextually aware and locally grounded.”

As one of the region’s largest content producers, MBC Group constantly explores new ways to strengthen connections between programming and global audiences.

“This includes expanding how our content is distributed across platforms like Shahid, satellite TV and digital services,” said Zahreddine. “Enhancing localization is one layer of the broader effort to remove friction between content and audiences.”

DID YOU KNOW?

AI voice tech preserves tone, emotion and nuance, transforming how Arabic content is localized across 150+ languages.

CAMB.AI powers live sports translation for global events like MLS, Eurovision and the Australian Open — in real time.

AI-dubbed Arabic thriller ‘Three’ debuted in Mandarin, highlighting CAMB. AI’s ability to localize content without losing cultural depth.

This collaboration between MBC Group and CAMB.AI reflects a broader effort to explore how Arabic content can connect more meaningfully with non-native-speaking audiences.

By moving beyond literal translation and toward context-sensitive localization, the partnership supports a more accurate and respectful representation of original creative work

For Arabic creators and producers, this opens up the possibility of reaching wider audiences while maintaining the cultural authenticity that defines their storytelling.

It is not about changing the content but about removing barriers that might limit how it is experienced in other cultural contexts.

MBC Group approaches innovation through the same lens that has shaped its editorial philosophy for decades — grounded in cultural integrity, social responsibility, and a strong commitment to its audiences.

“We believe that technology and ethics are not separate conversations but (are) deeply connected — especially when building tools that shape how content is consumed and understood,” said Zahreddine.

“We have around 65 nationalities working at MBC. Our multicultural environment is reflected in the cultural sensitivity of our content production.

“Our extensive media library is developed (with) high ethical standards, avoiding obscene content, excessive violence or any form of hate speech. This discipline not only protects the integrity of our content but also makes it a reliable data foundation for engaging with AI and emerging technologies.”

By sharing responsibly curated material, MBC Group contributes to the development of AI models that better reflect the ethical values embedded in its programming and are aligned with audience expectations.

Zahreddine added: “While AI continues to evolve rapidly, we believe it’s essential that any advancement remains anchored in principles that respect culture, identity and shared community standards.”
 


Jazan car dealerships undergo official inspections

Updated 26 June 2025
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Jazan car dealerships undergo official inspections

JAZAN: Inspection teams from the Saudi Ministry of Commerce have visited more than 130 car dealerships and showrooms in Jazan this week.

The inspections are part of the ministry’s ongoing monitoring activities throughout the region to ensure all vehicles in such outlets comply with requirements to display a fuel economy label.

Labels display clear information about a vehicle’s fuel consumption in a bid to encourage consumers to choose more efficient vehicles, with an overall aim of promoting fuel conservation.

The fuel economy label was developed and implemented as part of the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program’s initiatives to provide consumers with information about the most energy-efficient vehicles.


Saudi efforts to boost innovation pay off

Updated 26 June 2025
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Saudi efforts to boost innovation pay off

  • Official figures show that 8,029 patent applications were submitted in the country in 2024, an increase of 13.3 percent on the previous year

RIYADH: Support provided by Saudi authorities for scientific research, innovation and university teaching have been credited for recent achievements by innovators in the Kingdom.

Official figures show that 8,029 patent applications were submitted in the country in 2024, an increase of 13.3 percent on the previous year. In addition, 31,834 trademarks and 1,578 industrial designs were registered, and 4,355 patents were published.

Investment in research and development in Saudi Arabia increased to SR22.6 billion ($6 billion) in 2023, a 17.4 percent increase compared with 2022.

Recent examples of Saudi innovators honored with awards for research and innovation at international events included ophthalmologist Dr. Saad Al-Anzi, who won the grand prize at the Geneva International Exhibition in April this year for inventing a cost-effective surgical tool for cataract operations, while six other Saudi innovators received global awards at the event and 134 received global medals.

And 39 students from King Abdulaziz University received a global award at the IENA Expo for ideas, inventions and new products in Germany last October.


Saudi Arabia provides $30m in support for Palestinian Authority

Updated 26 June 2025
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Saudi Arabia provides $30m in support for Palestinian Authority

  • Financial aid from the Kingdom has been instrumental in sustaining the health and education sectors in Palestine, finance minister says
  • The total value of support provided by Saudi authorities for the Palestinian people over the years exceeds $5.3bn

LONDON: Saudi Arabia has delivered $30 million to the Palestinian Authority to help alleviate the severe financial crisis it faces, which is blamed on Israeli policies designed to weaken it.

The assistance was presented in Amman on Thursday to the Palestinian minister of finance, Omar Al-Bitar, by Mohammed Mounis, the acting chargé d’affaires at the Saudi Embassy in Jordan.

Al-Bitar commended the Kingdom for the ongoing financial and political support it provides for Palestinians and their rights to independence and statehood. He thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their leadership, and acknowledged the political, economic and humanitarian support they provide for his country.

The minister added that the money given by Saudi Arabia is a significant contribution that is helping the Palestinian Authority cope with a financial crisis that is exacerbated by the policies of a far-right Israeli government.

The financial support has been instrumental to the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to maintain the health and education sectors, the Palestine News Agency reported. It has helped meet the costs of running hospitals, purchasing medicines and medical equipment, keeping schools open, and paying the salaries of medical staff, teachers and administrative workers.

Over the years, support provided by the Kingdom for the Palestinian people has exceeded $5.3 billion for a total of 289 projects, according to figures from Saudi aid agency KSrelief.

Mounis said his country remains committed to support for the Palestinian government, to help it fulfill its financial obligations and assist its people during this time of economic and humanitarian hardship, the Saudi Press Agency reported. He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s steadfast support for upholding the rights of the Palestinian people.