CAIRO — High-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey were in Tehran on Monday for meetings with Iranian authorities to try to avert renewed fighting in the Iran war. Many in Iran are anxious about a possible return to all-out war. Israeli and American leaders have been sharpening their threats before elections in both […]
SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister has expressed concern over Umrah pilgrims from the Union Territory who are currently stranded in Saudi Arabia, saying the government is in active coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to facilitate their safe and early return. The Chief Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to taking all […]
MINA, SAUDI ARABIA — Muslim faithful took part in the climactic ritual of the annual hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday, symbolically stoning the devil near Mecca. From dawn, crowds of pilgrims gathered in the valley of Mina, southeast of the holy city of Makkah, to throw pebbles at concrete pillars symbolising the devil. It reenacts the […]
MOUNT ARAFAT (SAUDI ARABIA) — With temperatures hitting 45C in Mecca this week, Saudi health workers have increasingly relied on drones to supply a vast array of medical clinics treating heat-stressed pilgrims during the hajj. The rituals at the hajj have been a constant for centuries. But technology is rapidly changing the experience for pilgrims […]
MINA — As dawn broke on Monday, pilgrims began flowing into the sacred site of Mina west of Mecca, marking the beginning of what is considered the most significant spiritual journey for Muslims around the world. Nearly 2 million Muslims are expected to perform Hajj in 2026 as Saudi Arabia continues to record rising pilgrim […]
RIYADH — To avoid the punishing sun, Inas Gamal abandoned her ambitious plan of spending the days ahead of the hajj praying in Mecca’s Grand Mosque and retreated to the comfort of an air-conditioned hotel room to perform her daytime prayers. Despite travelling all the way from Egypt for the annual pilgrimage, Gamal said it […]
CAIRO — Saudi Arabia on Sunday said it intercepted three drones after they entered its territory from Iraqi airspace. The kingdom’s defense ministry said it would take the necessary operational measures to respond to any attempt to violate its sovereignty and security. While hostilities during the Iran conflict have largely been scaled down since a […]
HYDERABAD/JEDDAH — At least 45 Indians, majority of them Umrah pilgrims from Telangana capital Hyderabad, were killed in Saudi Arabia’s Madina after their bus collided with an oil tanker, officials said on Monday. Citing preliminary information, Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar put the toll at 45, saying a total of 54 persons from the […]
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti and Head of the Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh passed away in Riyadh on Tuesday morning, the Royal Court announced in a statement. He was 82. Funeral prayer for him will be held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh after the Asr prayer on […]
SRINAGAR — The first batch of this year’s Hajj pilgrims left the Hajj house on Sunday for the Srinagar international airport to board the special flight for Saudi Arabia. This year, over 3600 pilgrims will leave Jammu and Kashmir to perform the holiest Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj. The first batch of 178 pilgrims, comprising 96 […]