Saudi Arabia sets 1,000-person limit on Hajj pilgrims – down from 2.5million in a normal year – and bans foreigners from Mecca as country battles coronavirus The Hajj pilgrimage is the largest gathering of Muslims in the world It lasts for five or six days as pilgrims travel to the ‘House of Allah’ in Mecca … Read more
Rare ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse will cast dramatic shadow over Africa, Arabia and southern Asia tomorrow Tomorrow an annular solar eclipse will be visible during the summer solstice The Republic of Congo will be the first country to see it at 5.56am local time The ‘maximum eclipse’ will be seen over Uttarakhan, India at … Read more
Saudi Arabia has doubled its use of the death penalty since King Salman came to the throne, with 800 executions carried out in five years Saudi Arabia has carried out 800 executions under the reign of King Salman That is double the 423 executions carried out in the country from 2009-14 Rights group says rise … Read more
Saudi Arabia reopens Mecca’s Grand Mosque but bars people from touching the cuboid Kaaba shrine after it was closed for disinfecting over coronavirus Saudi Arabia closed the Grand Mosque in Mecca, one of the holiest sites in Islam, this week to disinfect it The mosque was reopened Saturday, but people were blocked from touching the … Read more
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman orders arrest of King’s brother and nephew as they are charged with treason ‘over coup plot’ Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Nayef were arrested Over plot to oust king and son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reports suggest Mohammed bin Nayef had been crown prince … Read more
Saudi Arabia suspends year-round umrah pilgrimage to stop coronavirus spreading to holy Islamic sites The umrah draws more than 18.3million Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia per year Many people choose to undertake it during Ramadan, which starts in April But it has now been suspended as Saudi Arabia tries to keep out coronavirus By Afp … Read more
Saudi Arabia finally BANS religious pilgrims from visiting Mecca or Medina to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the Kingdom Statement issued this evening by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom Will be supporting other countries and will abide by ‘international standards’ Temporarily suspended entry into the Kingdom for the purpose of Umrah … Read more