सऊदी अरब – Page 7 – आवारा मुसाफिर

First woman competes at Middle East’s top falconry show

December 8, 2020493 Views

Athari Alkhaldi stands out amid a sea of men and falcons at the Middle East’s top falconry competition: the first Saudi woman to qualify and participate in the event. “With my participation ... I proved I am here, that women can join this field, that it’s not only restricted to men,” she said, alongside her falcon Ma’aned. Falconry is an important part of the desert heritage of Arabs of Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries going back thousands of years. Athari Alkhaldi, the first Saudi woman to qualify and participate in the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, holds a falcon during the show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 1, 2020. Courtesy of King Abdulaziz Falconry Media Center/Handout via REUTERS The two-week King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, which gathers more than 4,000 ...

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Saudi Arabia plans to resume tourist visas by early 2021

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

September 28, 2020934 Views

Saudi Arabia plans to resume tourist visas by early 2021 after months of suspension amid strict government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the kingdom’s tourism minister has said. Tourism is a key pillar of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious reform strategy to reduce the economy’s dependence on oil. The kingdom, which opened its doors to foreign tourists in September 2019 by launching a new visa regime for 49 countries, wants the sector to contribute 10% of gross domestic product by 2030. “For tourist visa, until now we are talking about early next year. If things get better or if any positive developments happen with regards to the vaccine, we might accelerate and have it earlier,” Ahmed al-Khateeb said in a virtual interview. In late-Februa...

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120 kg of gold threads and 100 kg of silver threads in New Kiswa at Kaaba

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

July 30, 20201060 Views

The Kiswa, the finely embroidered black cloth that covers the holy Kaaba at the center of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, was replaced, as it is customary every year, on the eve of second day of Hajj when most worshipers have made the trek to Mount Arafat. One of the most beloved events of Hajj, the Kiswa replacement process, which took place on Wednesday night, is administered by the staff of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet Mosque. The Kiswa is replaced once a year during Hajj after the pilgrims go to Mount Arafat for the peak day of Hajj in preparation for receiving worshippers the next morning, which coincides with Eid Al-Adha. Pilgrims marked on Thursday the second day of Hajj, known as Day of Arafat, as they left the h...

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Saudi Arabia readies for unprecedented Hajj amid Coronavirus pandemic

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

July 26, 20201084 Views

This year’s Hajj pilgrims on Saturday finished the procedures of a weeklong home isolation, according to the health protocol approved for the major Islamic pilgrimage this year that begins next week. Pilgrims started arriving in Makkah, where they will undergo four days of quarantine at designated hotels in the holy city. The strict health protocol was approved by the Saudi government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Hajj begins on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic year 1441, and runs to the 12th or 13th of Dhul Hijjah, corresponding to July 28-August 2, 2020. The Saudi authorities decided to hold the pilgrimage in the midst of exceptional circumstances caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, necessitating strict precautionary measures that have been applied to ensure a...