Deadline for payment of first Hajj installment extended

Deadline for payment of first Hajj installment extended

Hyderabad: The Hajj Committee of India has extended the deadline for the first installment payment for Hajj pilgrims to Thursday, October 31, following a successful appeal by the Telangana State Hajj Committee. Initially, pilgrims were required to deposit Rs.1,30,300 by October 21. Pilgrims are encouraged to utilize this extension to complete their payments on time. … Read more

$200 million upgrade plan for Muna excites Nigerian pilgrims

0 million upgrade plan for Muna excites Nigerian pilgrims

The tents accommodating Nigerian pilgrims in Muna, Saudi Arabia, are set to undergo a major expansion and renovation. The service provider, Ithraa Alkhair Group, has announced a substantial investment of $200 million to enhance the facilities and provide a more comfortable experience for pilgrims. Chairman of the group, Ahmed Sindi, said at an event hosted … Read more

Senegal tightens anti-COVID controls after Mecca deaths

Senegal tightens anti-COVID controls after Mecca deaths

Dakar, Senegal —  Senegal said Monday it had implemented voluntary COVID-19 screening tests and reimposed the wearing of masks at Dakar’s international airport for returning pilgrims fearing the virus was linked to the deaths of some Mecca pilgrims. Dakar suspects that a number of the some 1,300 deaths — according to a Saudi tally — … Read more

Another Nigerian governor criticises NAHCON’s operations, vows to lead campaign to scrap commission

Another Nigerian governor criticises NAHCON’s operations, vows to lead campaign to scrap commission

Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has declared his intention to lead the effort to abolish the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), a federal government agency responsible for the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Mr Bago made this declaration during an interview with journalists in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In a video posted on social media, … Read more

Over 1,000 pilgrims died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, officials say

Over 1,000 pilgrims died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, officials say

Cairo —  More than 1,000 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced extreme high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, officials said Sunday. More than half of the fatalities were people from Egypt, according to two officials in Cairo. Egypt revoked the licenses of 16 … Read more

Are people dying from heat stroke at Hajj in Saudi Arabia?

Are people dying from heat stroke at Hajj in Saudi Arabia?

Hundreds of pilgrims died during this year’s Hajj, the five-day Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, local officials revealed on Wednesday. More than 1.83 million Muslims from 22 countries participated in the pilgrimage this year, according to Saudi Arabia’s Hajj authority. The pilgrimage is a mandatory religious duty for all financially and physically … Read more

14 Jordanians dead, 17 missing during Hajj in Saudi Arabia, Jordan says

14 Jordanians dead, 17 missing during Hajj in Saudi Arabia, Jordan says

Fourteen Jordanians have been reported dead during the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, some of them due to heat stroke, while 17 others were reported missing, the Jordanian foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. At least of six of the fatalities were heat related, the ministry said on Saturday, with … Read more

Soaring temperatures scorch pilgrims on Hajj in Saudi Arabia

Soaring temperatures scorch pilgrims on Hajj in Saudi Arabia

Throngs of tightly packed pilgrims on the annual Hajj pilgrimage struggled as temperatures hit 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2 Fahrenheit) in the shade of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi state TV said, with the searing heat claiming lives. Twenty-three Tunisian citizens died while on Hajj, Tunisian state news agency Agence Tunis-Afrique-Presse said on Tuesday. … Read more

Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attacks Israel, US in Hajj address

Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attacks Israel, US in Hajj address

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed Hajj pilgrims on Saturday in a series of posts on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. Khameni told Hajj pilgrims to disassociate from the US and Israel. “This renunciation of the Zionist regime and its supporters, in particular the government of the United States of America, must … Read more

Muslim pilgrims converge at Mount Arafat for daylong worship

Muslim pilgrims converge at Mount Arafat for daylong worship

MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia —  Following the footsteps of prophets beneath a burning sun, Muslims from around the world congregated Saturday at a sacred hill in Saudi Arabia for intense, daylong worship and reflection. The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage. It is … Read more