Coffee shop owners and investors have expressed widespread resentment since the implementation of the shisha ban was put into effect and which has since limited café owners to serving tea, refreshments and snacks.
The Ministry of Interior issued the ban following a royal decree that had previously been ordered on this front.
The Mayoralty of Jeddah has since taken on the task of ensuring that shops inside the city comply with the ban and that shisha only be smoked outside city parameters in non-residential areas.
Owners of restaurants and cafes have complained that the decision was sudden and that it came without warning in the space of a week where they should have been given a grace period of three to six months.
Arab News visited some cafes in the city to get a better idea of the repercussions faced by businessmen. Reporters found visitors being served shisha and openly smoking cigarettes inside the building. Newsmen approached waiters to ask why the ban had not yet been implemented but they refused to speak or give the name of the shop owner, in addition to refusing permission to take photos of the café.
Reporters asked once again about their continuing to serve shisha and they answered that they have not been formally informed of the ban and as such have no reason to deprive local customers of their usual orders.
Reporters then asked if they fear being caught and fined for not complying with the ban, the owner affirmed that he would stop allowing any form of smoke-related products only when they receive official notification that they are no longer allowed to serve it. He added that they expect to incur losses of up to half a million Saudi riyals.
Hussam Jamal, a Lebanese investor in a chain of restaurants in Jeddah, said that the recent decision is in itself and of itself a sound one but echoed other café owners in saying that a five- to six-month grace period should have been allowed.
“As foreigners, we put in everything we have into these businesses to get an adequate return on investment.”
He added that the decision does not clarify whether or not smoking cigarettes is included. “We had customers smoking cigarettes a few days back both inside and outside the café. It turns out there was a hidden inspector taking note of the violation who then issued a SR 600 fine.”
Khaled Al-Madini, owner of a café north of Jeddah, said the decision was the right one “because it aims to preserve public health.” He only calls for a grace period to pay off his loan.
Lawyer Ahmad Alkhaled Al-Sudairi said the Mayor’s Office should either reverse its decision or compensate the losing shop owners and payoff their loans.
He previously told the Arab News that said Mayor’s Office cannot legally close shops that started their business before the ban. Serving shisha at these shops is important for owners to cover their investment, not to mention paying off the loans many of them have taken from banks to help them establish their businesses, Al-Sudairi said.
“If the reason behind the decision is to combat pollution, the smoke emitted from one diesel vehicle is equivalent to that of a thousand shishas. Smoking shisha is a custom we’ve had for years and banning it is annoying to people who have no cinemas, no theaters and no parks to go to,” Al-Sudairi said.
One shop owner has said that 90 percent of his visitors came from Riyadh since they are banned from smoking shisha in the capital.
Jeddah Mayoralty spokesman Abdulaziz Al-Naharihas reaffirmed that this decision, coming from the Ministry of Interior, shall be implemented on 232 coffee shops across the city and that rigorous investigation shall be carried out to ensure sustained implementation of the law.
Restaurants and cafes could face an 80 percent drop in their revenue. These cafes would make a daily revenue of SR 7,000 to SR 10,000 from shisha.
The ban has only recently been enforced, with Riyadh and other cities having implemented this years ago. Shisha lovers now have to drive to cafes outside the city to smoke as the decision also applies to residential areas.
Al-Nahari said this is an application of the ministry of interior’s decision to protect public health and that such measures have been applied internationally.
Arwa Al-Ama, assistant mayor for ladies section affairs, announced recently that women inspectors will canvas family sections and beauty shops for violatorsl
“There are 17 inspectors in eight teams doing field visits on daily basis to monitor the violating shops,” Al-Ama said.
The inspecting team spotted number of violations since the start of the ban, said Al-Ama. She added that the violators were fined according to the law.
Each team is consisting of two inspectors. Each team is covering specific area in Jeddah. They inspect shops under the mayoralty’s supervision.
Shop owners deeply affected by shisha ban
Shop owners deeply affected by shisha ban
Hadiyah launches program to promote cultural and humanitarian engagement with pilgrims
RIYADH: The Hajj and Mutamer’s Gift Charitable Association (Hadiyah), based in Makkah, has launched the “Let Them Witness the Benefits” to offer enriching experiences to pilgrims after completion of the Hajj rituals, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The program aims to build bridges of cultural and humanitarian engagement between pilgrims and Saudi society by hosting pilgrims in Saudi homes, where they experience traditional hospitality and learn about the Kingdom’s values, customs and traditions, fostering a sense of closeness and belonging.
The chairman of Hadiyah, Hatem Al-Marzouki, said that the program is one of several initiatives designed to create a lasting positive effect after Hajj by strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties between pilgrims and Saudi society.
“Hadiyah’s services go beyond hospitality, offering a comprehensive and unforgettable experience that reflects the human values of the Saudi people,” he said.
Al-Marzouki said the program is part of an integrated system of high-quality initiatives aligned with the aspirations of Saudi leadership.
According to SPA, these initiatives aim to enhance the pilgrims’ experience and strengthen the Kingdom’s image as a global center for serving and caring for pilgrims, culturally and humanely.
420,070 workers served during Hajj 2025: Saudi statistics authority
- Over 1.6m pilgrims undertook Hajj, according to General Authority for Statistics
RIYADH: A total of 420,070 workers from the public and private sectors, including security services, worked to serve 1,673,230 pilgrims during this year’s Hajj, the General Authority for Statistics has reported.
Of the number, 92 percent were male and 8 percent female, GASTAT said in its Hajj Statistics Publication carried by the Saudi Press Agency recently.
The publication said there were 34,540 male and female volunteers at the holy sites, contributing a total of 2,134,398 volunteer hours during the Hajj season.
It also stated that 314,337 male and female pilgrims from eight countries benefited from the Makkah Route Initiative this year, representing 20.9 percent of all pilgrims.
This initiative, launched during the 2017 Hajj season, aims to streamline travel procedures for pilgrims.
GASTAT announced earlier that of this year’s 1,673,230 registered pilgrims, 1,506,576 arrived from abroad through various entry points. There were 166,654 citizens and residents who performed Hajj this year.
This year there were 877,841 male and 795,389 female pilgrims, the authority stated.
GASTAT said the statistics are based on records provided by the Ministry of Interior.
Makkah’s Mashaer metro transports 1.87m passengers during Hajj
- Mashaer completes 2,154 trips between Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat
- Dedicated to serving Hajj pilgrims, it runs for only 7 days every year
MAKKAH: A total of 1.87 million passengers used the Mashaer Metro Train to travel between Makkah’s holy sites during this year’s Hajj, according to Saudi Arabia Railways.
From Dhul Hijjah 7 (June 3) until the end of the Days of Tashreeq (June 9), there were 2,154 trips between the stations of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat, the railway agency said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
The operational plan for the Mashaer transport system during Hajj 2025 had five main phases, with the first one from June 3 to 4 transporting over 27,000 passengers across all stations.
The second phase moved 282,000 pilgrims from Mina to Arafat, the third transported 294,000 from Arafat to Muzdalifah, and the fourth moved over 349,000 from Muzdalifah to Mina.
“The final phase, which lasted until sunset on the last day of Tashreeq, recorded the movement of over 920,000 passengers to and from Mina 3 (Jamarat) station,” the SPA said.
Saudi Arabia Railways CEO Bashar AlMalik attributed the successful completion of the operational plan to extensive preparatory work, including simulation exercises and trial runs by the agency in coordination with operational and security agencies.
Also known as the Al-Mashaer Al-Mugaddasah Metro, or The Sacred Sites Train Line, it consists of nine stations across the holy sites, connected by an 18-km double-track railway. It can accommodate 72,000 passengers per hour in one direction.
Traveling at 80 km per hour, the train can move passengers from Mina to Arafat in just 20 minutes, giving pilgrims ease and comfort and allowing them to concentrate on their Hajj rituals.
Opened in 2010, the line is used exclusively as a shuttle train for pilgrims between holy sites in Makkah, Mina, Mount Arafat and Muzdalifah.
With a fleet of 17 eco-friendly electric trains, each capable of carrying 3,000 passengers, the metro system has reduced traffic congestion and carbon emissions by replacing about 50,000 passenger buses during the Hajj season.
Saudi king, crown prince condemn shooting that killed 10 students in Austrian school
- Austrian police said the shooter attacked the Dreierschuetzengasse secondary school in Graz region on June 10 before taking his own life
- Of the eleven people wounded, nine were still in intensive care but in stable condition on Wednesday
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday offered condolences to Austria over a shooting attack that killed 10 and injured 11 at a secondary school, according to the Saudi Press Agency, or SPA.
In a message to Austrian President Alexander van Deir Beilin, King Salman condemned the attack as a “disgraceful criminal act” and expressed “deepest condolences and sincere sympathy” to the people of Austria and relatives of those killed. He also wished the injured “a speedy recovery.”
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also prime minister of the Kingdom, sent a similar message to the Austrian leader.
Police said the shooter, armed with two legally owned guns — a shotgun and a pistol — attacked the Dreierschuetzengasse secondary school in Graz region on June 10 before taking his own life.
A teacher and nine teenagers aged between 14 and 17, were among the victims, Austrian press agency APA reported.
Of the eleven wounded, nine were still in intensive care but in a stable condition on Wednesday, according to hospital officials.
The shooter was a 21-year-old former pupil at the school in Graz region, but never finished his studies there, local media quoted probers as saying.
During a search at the suspect’s home, police found a “non-functional” homemade bomb, a farewell letter as well as a video message addressed to his mother, none of which offered any clues about his motive.
The government declared three days of mourning for the victims. Church bells rang out across Austria as people stopped in the streets, radio and TV programs were interrupted and public transport was halted.
Media commentators highlighted how easy it is for Austrians to get firearms, and pointed to the relatively high number of weapons in circulation.
During a visit to Graz, President Van der Bellen said the country was still “in deep, deep shock” following the “abominable... horror we all experienced.”
“If we come to the conclusion that Austria’s gun laws need to be changed to ensure greater safety, then we will do so,” he told a memorial event on Wednesday.
Austrian newspapers ran headlines that read “Why?” and “It’s horrific,” with the daily Kurier opting for a front page all in black.
Grieving Austrians held tearful memorials for the victims. Mourners cried, hugged and left flowers, candles and letters to the victims in churches and outside the school.
Condolences poured in from leaders across Europe, with Pope Leo XIV offering his “prayers for the victims of the tragedy” at his general audience on Wednesday.
(With AP)
Expert sheds light on historic mosques in Makkah that remain unknown to many
- Al-Dahas highlighted the significance of Namirah Mosque in Arafat, where the Prophet delivered his sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage
MAKKAH: In Makkah, the holiest city in Islam, spiritual significance extends far beyond the Grand Mosque. Scattered throughout the city are historic mosques that witnessed pivotal moments in Islamic history.
Yet, amid the dense crowds and the rapid pace of modern development, many pilgrims and Umrah performers remain unaware of these sacred sites, quietly tucked away within the city’s expanding urban landscape.
Fawaz Al-Dahas, professor of history at Umm Al-Qura University, said that Makkah is home to several mosques of profound historical and religious value, yet they remain largely overlooked, receiving neither the media attention nor the organized religious visits they merit.
Al-Dahas highlighted the significance of Namirah Mosque in Arafat, where the Prophet delivered his sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage. He said that this mosque was not merely a physical structure, but a sacred site where the foundational principles of Islam were proclaimed. He also referenced the Bay’ah Mosque in Mina, which commemorates the pivotal moment when the Ansar pledged allegiance to the Prophet, paving the way for the Hijrah and the establishment of the Islamic state.
According to Al-Dahas, the importance of these mosques transcends their geographic locations, reflecting their profound political and religious significance in Islamic history.
Al-Dahas shed light on Al-Rayah Mosque: “Located in the Jarwal neighborhood, where the Prophet’s banner was raised on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, a powerful symbol of victory tempered by forgiveness.”
He also drew attention to Al-Hudaibiya Mosque, situated west of Makkah, where the historic Bay’at Al-Ridwan pledge took place, an event referenced in the Holy Qur’an. He said that while the mosque still stands on the original site of the Treaty of Hudaibiya, it remains largely unknown, with few visitors aware of its exact location.
Mohammed Al-Joud, a Hajj and Umrah specialist, said that these mosques were not merely historical structures, but vital educational landmarks that enrich a pilgrim’s understanding of the deeper spiritual dimensions of Hajj. He pointed to Al-Khayf Mosque in Mina, where the Prophet and prophets before him are believed to have prayed, as a powerful symbol of the continuity of prophethood: “Yet, many pilgrims remain unaware of its significance outside the Hajj season.”
Al-Joud also highlighted Al-Mashar Al-Haram Mosque in Muzdalifah, which is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, emphasizing that awareness of such sacred sites bridges the rituals of Hajj with their Qur’anic and historical roots, enhancing the spiritual journey.
Al-Joud also drew attention to Al-Kabsh Mosque in Mina, linked to the story of the sacrifice of Ismail. He explained that the mosque symbolizes the values of sacrifice and obedience, yet remains largely overlooked in media coverage and excluded from most pilgrimage programs. He described it as an essential part of a broader, interconnected network of sacred sites that trace the prophetic journey — from revelation to migration, and from peace to conquest.
Al-Dahas underscored the importance of launching awareness initiatives to shed light on these mosques and restore their rightful standing. He said that safeguarding Makkah’s Islamic heritage was not limited to preserving its prominent landmarks, but also required reviving these historically significant mosques, which once stood as pivotal markers along the journey of the prophetic message.
He said that reconnecting pilgrims with these sacred sites revived the educational and historical depth of Hajj, enriching the journey with a more profound, informed, and spiritually immersive experience.
