1,330,845 pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia by Thursday
Breakdown of pilgrim arrivals
Of these, 1,260,874 pilgrims entered via airports, 64,883 through land ports, and 5,088 arrived by sea.
Commitment to efficient entry procedures
The directorate reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating smooth and efficient entry procedures for the pilgrims by equipping its platforms with the latest technological systems, operated by qualified personnel fluent in multiple languages.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
20 minutes ago
- Zawya
$1.3bln in airline funds blocked by governments
New Delhi – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that $1.3 billion in airline funds are blocked from repatriation by governments as of end April 2025. This is a significant amount, although it is an improvement of 25% compared with the $1.7 billion reported for October 2024. IATA urged governments to remove all barriers preventing airlines from the timely repatriation of their revenues from ticket sales and other activities in accordance with international agreements and treaty obligations. "Ensuring the timely repatriation of revenues is vital for airlines to cover dollar-denominated expenses and maintain their operations. Delays and denials violate bilateral agreements and increase exchange rate risks. Reliable access to revenues is critical for any business—particularly airlines which operate on very thin margins. Economies and jobs rely on international connectivity. Governments must realize that it is a challenge for airlines to maintain connectivity when revenue repatriation is denied or delayed,' said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General. 10 countries are responsible for 80% of blocked funds 10 countries account for 80% of the total blocked funds, amounting to $1.03 billion. Country Amount USD Million Mozambique 205 XAF Zone* 191 Algeria 178 Lebanon 142 Bangladesh 92 Angola 84 Pakistan 83 Eritrea 76 Zimbabwe 68 Ethiopia 44 * XAF Zone (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon) Country Highlights Pakistan and Bangladesh, previously in the top five blocked funds countries, have made notable progress in clearing their backlog to $83 million and $92 million, respectively (from $311 million and $196 million in October 2024, respectively). Mozambique has climbed up to the top of blocked funds countries, withholding $205 million from airlines, compared with $127 million in October 2024. The Africa and Middle East (AME) region accounts for 85% of total blocked funds, at $1.1 billion as of end April 2025. The most significant improvement was noted in Bolivia, fully clearing its backlog that stood at $42 million at end October 2024. -Ends- For more information, please contact: Corporate Communications Email: corpcomms@ IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 350 airlines comprising over 80% of global air traffic. You can follow us at follow us on X for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information. Fly Net Zero.
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Vietnam tees off on the world golf stage as official host of Legends Tour 2025
Vietnam is making a power play in the world of international sport and golf is its game of choice. This weekend Ho Chi Minh City was officially named as one of 21 destinations worldwide selected to host the Legends Tour 2025, a prestigious series featuring some of the greatest names in senior professional golf. The Vietnam Legends Championship 2025, scheduled for November 29 to December 1, will bring the likes of Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal, and Miguel Ángel Jiménez to Southeast Asia. It hopes to open new doors for fans, business leaders, and investors from regions like the UAE and the Middle East, where golf, tourism, and cross-border investment continue to grow hand-in-hand. The Tour officially launched with the Staysure Marbella Legends at the renowned Aloha Golf Club in Marbella, Spain, on February 14 to 16.. A high-energy press conference held on Saturday under the direction of the People's Committee and the Department of Culture and Sports gathered notable figures, including Legends Tour Chairman Ryan Howsam, European golf icons, and leading Vietnamese and international business representatives. A Global Gateway In his welcome address, Nguyen Nam Nhan, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports and Head of the Organizing Committee, underscored the tournament's strategic impact saying: 'Vietnam Legends Tour 2025 is not just a sporting event, but a bridge for cultural, economic, and human exchange between Vietnam and international friends. 'Through this event, we hope Ho Chi Minh City will affirm its role as a hub for organizing world-class sporting events while opening up investment cooperation opportunities for the business community.' Chairman of the Legends Tour, Ryan Howsam, echoed this sentiment: 'We are honoured to have the Vietnam Legends Tour 2025 hosted in Ho Chi Minh City - a vibrant, friendly, and highly promising city. 'Our presence here is not solely for competition, but also to observe the dynamic transformation of a city in motion.' Dubai-Driven Vietnam Comeback The highlight of the conference was the signing of a three-year strategic partnership between the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the Legends Tour, and The Golf House JSC, the event's promoter. Nguyen Gia Bao, Chairwoman of The Golf House, is based in Dubai and played a key role in bringing the Legends Championship back to her native Vietnam for the second time after 2023. Additionally, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Legends Tour and The Golf House to establish a Golf Academy in Vietnam - an ambitious move to nurture local talent and grow the sport throughout Southeast Asia. Gia Bao, an avid golfer and a professional motorsports racer, commented 'The official signing of a 3-year strategic partnership with the Legends Tour to bring the Vietnam Legends Championship to Vietnam from 2025 to 2027 marks a significant milestone for The Golf House. 'Our goal is not only to organize world-class tournaments but to foster a professional golf community and connect enterprises for sustainable growth. Ho Chi Minh City will be the launchpad for projecting Vietnam's values onto the global stage.' A Nation on the Rise As Vietnam celebrates the 50th anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification, the Vietnam Legends Championship 2025 stands not only as a world-class sports event but also as a powerful symbol of the country's global ambition. From championship fairways to corporate boardrooms, Ho Chi Minh City is extending an open invitation to the world -especially forward-looking economies like the UAE - to connect, invest, and grow alongside a dynamic country ready to lead on the international stage.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Born to ride: Emirati mother embarks on epic motorcycle journeys across Middle East
In 2022, mother-of-two Fatima Alloghani decided she was going to get a motorbike licence. It was the start of a journey that began with her learning to ride a bike with a Deliveroo driver in Dubai, before she headed off to explore northern Iraq. 'I didn't know how the streets would look while riding a bike,' the 46-year-old Emirati said of her earliest experiences as a motorcyclist, sparked into action by the boredom of the Covid-19 pandemic. Back then, she had no idea that her emerging passion would take her to the Alps, across Scandinavia, the Himalayas and much of the Middle East. She has managed her passion alongside being a mother to two daughters, aged 16 and 13, and has passed on her passion to them both, with her eldest due to turn 17 and attain her licence later this year. Bruised but determined As a learner, she started off with no ego. 'I remember a funny moment where I had to hire a Deliveroo driver with his motorcycle to come on a Saturday and ride with me because I was afraid something was going to happen to the bike or something was going to happen to me,' she told The National. Her first major trip came in the summer of 2023, when she joined a Spanish group going to the Alps. What she didn't realise is the crucial difference between street bikes and those designed for rough terrain and adventure. 'I was given a bike I'd never ridden before and suddenly I was on a trip for eight days, riding 2,500km, climbing different passes and mountains in the Alps.' Despite falling as soon as she got on the bike, Ms Alloghani was determined not to give up. 'I really, really did not want to fail,' she said. 'I was falling all the time in these mountains, sometimes getting hurt, sometimes not, sometimes coming back with bruises, sometimes not, but I kept going and I eventually got through the eight days.' Ms Alloghani said this trip became a crucial confidence-builder and the catalyst for the rest of her adventures. Challenging stereotypes The following year, Ms Alloghani managed to reach the peak of Khardung La, 5,400 metres up in the Himalayas. Getting there by bike was not without its challenges, but the main hurdle she faced was the fact she made the trip alone – something she is now immensely proud of. 'I was a little bit terrified and there was water, rain and fog, so I could not see at times. I was also hyperventilating because of the high altitude,' she said. 'I fell [off my bike] at the summit, so I had bikers coming around me, helping me. They asked what group I was with and I said I was alone and they all laughed.' When Ms Alloghani first started her motorcycle journeys, she feared she would be stigmatised as an Arab woman travelling in groups that were 90 per cent male. 'At the beginning 90 per cent, if not 95 per cent, of the riders were men,' she said. 'The space for a woman to enter that kind of hobby is not huge but I wanted to change that.' Her next step was to join motorcycle groups made up of GCC nationals, which mainly travelled across the Gulf region. 'I feel more safe and more happy being with my own people, which is something I hesitated to do in the first two years because I did not know how these Arab men would accept a woman riding with them,' she said. Staying optimistic Ms Alloghani enjoyed travelling with groups but said she found that the peace and quiet of travelling alone was valuable to her. 'You build a relationship with your motorbike where it's you, your bike, the road and your helmet, and then silence,' she said. 'You do a lot of soul-searching. [Before,] I never had the chance to cut the noise and just start analysing me, learning more about who I am and what I am. There's a certain beauty in doing that while riding a bike.' Her biggest solo trip was from Dubai to northern Iraq, in which she travelled for six days and passed through Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Ms Alloghani said young adventurers should always be optimistic and believe that wherever they are, and whatever happens, they will recover and someone will be there to help. 'I was leaving from Erbil, Iraq, to Zagreb, Croatia, and I had a pretty severe accident where the front visor of the bike broke and my helmet cracked. On the street, the bike fell and there was metres between me and a lorry. I almost thought the trip was over. 'A Kurdish family helped me up. They didn't let me just get up and leave. They took me to the hospital and, when I was done, they had me stay at their house for a couple of days and had my visor and helmet fixed.' Ms Alloghani said this incident reinforced her belief that good people are everywhere and they will stand by you. 'If you want to do something, don't wait, just do it. It will change your life. If you just wait, time will pass and age will catch up,' she said. 'The freedom to live and tradition don't have to be two different things, we can export our traditions by travelling and keep them at heart while doing so.'
