JEDDAH: Every year, Saudi Arabia welcomes millions of pilgrims embarking on a spiritual journey to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. A critical aspect of ensuring their comfort and well-being is the provision of nutritious and culturally appropriate food to meet their diverse needs.
Makkah municipality, together with Hajj service providers and various relevant authorities, is making efforts to provide the best catering services.
Ayed Al-Gwinm, the deputy minister for Hajj affairs, told Arab News his ministry has been working with its partners to license service providers to meet food and catering goals.
“Catering consists of two components. One pertains to residences where pilgrims have the choice to engage an approved contractor, cook their own meals, or purchase food from the market,” he said.
“The second component involves catering services in the holy sites, where approximately 400 licensed caterers have been qualified to provide around 7.5 million meals per day.”
According to a statement by Ahmad Al-Sharif, the chairman of Makkah’s food and catering sector, during the 2022 Hajj season catering companies distributed more than 15 million meals at the holy sites, and more than 20 million meals were provided in the holy city.
Participating as a caterer during Hajj requires meeting certain quality standards. The accreditation process focuses on evaluating facilities, labor, transportation, and qualifications.
There are two international standards for food safety regulations. The first standard is the ISO 22000 food safety management system, which classifies facilities based on a star rating, while the second standard is the FSSC standard.
The municipality attaches great importance to food control, especially because of its direct impact on the health of pilgrims.
To ensure the safety of kitchens, restaurants and other establishments that deal with food during the season, the municipality has formed several field teams of specialists. These teams conduct inspections around the clock, especially during hot weather in Makkah, to ensure continuous monitoring and regulation.
The municipality has established a number of mobile laboratories that are located in the central area of Makkah and the holy sites.
Osama Zaitoony, a spokesman for the municipality, told Arab News: “These laboratories examine food samples from restaurants and kitchens to ensure their safety and suitability for human consumption during Hajj.”
The municipality is currently implementing a project which utilizes the most effective methods and new techniques in food control, while also enhancing the involvement of the private sector and its collaboration with the catering system during the Hajj season.
As part of this initiative, the municipality plans to conduct visits to over 22,000 food establishments and thoroughly inspect more than 5,000 food samples, ensuring that all meet the required standards.
In another project, the municipality and Umm Al-Qura University joined forces for a health control initiative concerning food and catering during the Hajj season.
Abdullah Al-Zaidi, the director general of municipal affairs, told Arab News: “The objective of the collaboration is to enhance the effectiveness of health monitoring for catering and nutrition services during the Hajj season. I also aim to ensure the highest standards of health and food safety by increasing the compliance index in catering kitchens.”
Before the season began, a total of 830 kitchens in Makkah and the holy sites were inspected to measure things like food temperature and pollution levels.
Makkah takes up initiatives to ensure food safety during Hajj
https://arab.news/yb96z
Makkah takes up initiatives to ensure food safety during Hajj
- Makkah municipality, together with Hajj service providers and various relevant authorities, is making efforts to provide the best catering services
- Ayed Al-Gwinm, the deputy minister for Hajj affairs, told Arab News his ministry has been working with its partners to license service providers to meet food and catering goals
Saudi Arabia issues royal decrees reshuffling key government posts
King Salman issued a series of royal orders on Thursday announcing key changes in government positions.
Among the key decisions, Prince Mohammed bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was relieved of his post as Governor of Jazan Region. He will be succeeded by Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who has been appointed with the rank of minister.
Other appointments include:
Prince Bandar bin Muqrin bin Abdulaziz al-Saud is appointed Advisor at the Royal Court, with the rank of Excellent.
Prince Nasser bin Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Jalawi al-Saud is appointed Deputy Governor of Jazan Region, with the rank of Excellent.
Prince Fahd bin Saad bin Faisal bin Saad al-Saud has been relieved of his membership in the Shura Council and appointed Deputy Governor of Al-Qassim Region, with the rank of Excellent.
Prince Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf al-Muqrin, Special Advisor to the King, is assigned to act as Deputy Minister of Interior.
Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz al-Daoud has been relieved of his post as Deputy Minister of Interior and appointed Deputy Minister of the National Guard, with the rank of Minister.
Mr. Fahd bin Abdullah al-Askar is appointed Deputy Chief of the Royal Court, with the rank of Minister.
Mr. Tamim bin Abdulaziz al-Salem is appointed Deputy Private Secretary to the King, with the rank of Minister.
Dr. Mohammed bin Saud bin Musa al-Tamimi has been relieved of his position as Governor of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission and appointed as Governor of the National Emergency Management Authority, with the rank of Minister.
Dr. Inas bint Sulaiman bin Mohammed al-Issa is appointed Deputy Minister of Education, with the rank of Excellent.
Professor Abdullah bin Siraj bin Mustafa Zaqzouq is appointed Head of Private Affairs for the Crown Prince, with the rank of Excellent.
Saudi Arabia ‘categorically rejects’ Israel’s plan to seize Gaza territory
- Israeli authorities on Monday approved plans to take over territory and forcibly displace population
- Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemns Israel’s violations of international law
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has “categorically rejected” plans by Israel to expand its military operations in Gaza and seize control of the territory.
The ministry also “strongly condemned the continued Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law.”
Israeli authorities on Monday approved a new ground operation to take over parts of Gaza, forcibly displace Palestinians into the south of the territory, and control the distribution of humanitarian aid. The Israeli army is calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.
The announcement sparked widespread international condemnation. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it stood firmly opposed to any attempted expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and stressed the importance of holding Israel accountable for failures to comply with international resolutions.
The Kingdom continues to have “unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, in line with international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital,” the ministry added.
Saudi project destroys 600 more Houthi landmines and other explosives in Yemen
- The devices, cleared from various parts of the war-torn country in recent months, were safely detonated on Wednesday
- Project Masam has removed nearly 500,000 mines across Yemen since its launch in 2018
RIYADH: Members of the Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance, also known as Project Masam, safely detonated 600 mines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive devices on Wednesday.
The project’s engineers had demined and removed the devices over the past few months from various parts of Yemen, including the town of Beihan and the districts of Usaylan and Ain in Shabwah governorate.
Hussein Al-Aqili, commander of the project’s survey team, said they carried out the destruction operation in the Thahba area of Ain district on Wednesday as part of their ongoing mission to clear mines and other remnants of war in Yemen, and save civilian lives.
The project has cleared nearly 500,000 mines from the country since its work there began in 2018.
Last week, Ousama Algosaibi, the managing director of Masam, warned that the Houthis continue to exploit periods of truce to plant more mines across Yemen.
“We are in a constant race with the Houthi militias; we clear mines from one side while they plant more on the other,” he said during an interview with Al-Ekhbariya TV.
Saudi ambassador meets Bahrain King’s media affairs adviser
Saudi Ambassador to Bahrain Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi was received by Nabeel bin Yacoub Al-Hamer, media affairs adviser to the King of Bahrain, in Manama on Wednesday.
The adviser expressed his pride in the solid fraternal relations and deep-rooted historical ties that bind the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
He also wished Al-Sudairi continued success in his duties, which will further support and strengthen the fraternal ties, mutual coordination, and close cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in various fields, and particularly in the media.
Saudi commission expands music access for people with disabilities
- Push for accessible arts programming reflects wider goals for social development
MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission has launched a national initiative to expand access to music education for people with disabilities, marking a key step toward their greater inclusion in the Kingdom’s cultural landscape.
Focused on Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar, the program trains instructors to teach students with physical and cognitive disabilities.
It supports the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to elevate quality of life and ensure opportunities for all segments of society.
Music education expert Issa Al-Qarbi praised the initiative as a transformative step in supporting individuals with disabilities.
“Music is a highly effective medium for stimulating brain activity, developing motor and social skills, and enhancing overall psychological well-being,” he said.
The initiative includes adapting teaching methods, specialized curricula and fully accessible learning environments aligned with the requirements of the Mowaamah certification, a program which provides support to increase participation among disabled individuals in the labor market.
In designing the program, the commission partnered with international experts in music on the curricula and programs that align with global best practices.
The existing models were reviewed using the standards set by the National Association for Music Education.
The commission’s goal is to empower students to express themselves through music, boost their self-confidence and enhance their social, cognitive and motor skills.
The students will receive extended training that prepares them for group performances while supporting their artistic, cognitive and social development. Sessions with parents and community members are also being planned to raise awareness and encourage family engagement.
Al-Qarbi said that long-term sustainability and lasting impacts could be ensured by closer partnerships between the education and healthcare sectors.
He praised the initiative as a regional model, opening the door to further research and innovation.
He said that teaching music to individuals with disabilities went beyond technical skills, nurturing essential personal qualities such as patience, discipline and social engagement, which in turn positively influenced many areas of their lives.
