Ambassador inspects UAE pilgrims' camps, affirms readiness of services for Hajj
Sheikh Nahyan Bin Saif Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, inspected the UAE pilgrims' camps in the Holy sites of Mina and Arafat, reviewing the final preparations ahead of the Hajj season 2025.
He was accompanied by Dr Omar Habtoor Al Darei, Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat and Head of the UAE Pilgrims Affairs Office, Nasser Bin Huwaiden Al Ketbi, the UAE Consul-General in Jeddah, along with several officials.
Sheikh Nahyan expressed his full confidence in the capabilities of the on-ground teams to deliver comprehensive services, praising the efforts made to ensure the highest standards of comfort and safety for UAE pilgrims during their stay in the holy sites.
He also extended appreciation to the wise leadership of both the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their support. These efforts reaffirm the UAE's commitment to providing all necessary services to ensure the comfort and safety of its pilgrims.
WAM
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
7 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Hajj 2025 begins: Thousands of UAE pilgrims arrive in Makkah for sacred journey
As Haya Qawas stepped into the view of the Holy Ka'aba, she felt as if she had been transported to another world. The sight of the sacred stone building brought her to tears, and her heart raced with joy. "It was like I had been waiting for this moment my whole life," she told Khaleej Times. Qawas is among thousands of pilgrims from the UAE who have travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah. This year, Saudi authorities have implemented stricter measures to protect pilgrims from the intense heat, as temperatures are expected to soar above 40°C. Hajj begins on Wednesday, June 4, and will continue until Monday, June 9. What is Hajj? Hajj is a religious obligation for all Muslims, with exceptions made for those who are elderly, disabled, or financially unable to participate. It is a spiritual milestone in the life of every Muslim, where people of all walks of life — rich and poor, young and old — stand together in identical white garments, stripped of status and worldly attachments. 'Those were days of physical exhaustion, but I experienced a kind of emotional and spiritual peace I had never known before,' Qawas said, referring to the journey to Makkah. 'I truly felt close to my Lord, as if my sins were melting away with every tear, every tawaf (the act of walking around the Ka'aba), and every weakness." Abdulrahim Shraim, Qawas' husband, felt much of the same feelings, his heart beaming with joy at the sight of the Ka'aba. This will be his first time performing Haj, and Shraim and an estimated 1.8 mn pilgrims are preparing the long and strenuous journey. The high temperatures will add on to his exhaustion but said that it will be worth it. Her husband, Abdulrahim Shraim, who is performing Hajj for the first time, echoed her sentiments. The high temperatures are adding to the physical fatigue, but Shraim believes the experience will be worth it. 'All the travel fatigue vanished, and my heart felt so light,' he said. The married couple are among the estimated 1.8 million pilgrims who will be performing Hajj this year. 'Greater reward' When Khaleej Times last spoke to Sarah Tiry, she was preparing to embark on a night journey to Mina, an area 8km southeast of the city of Makkah which houses hundreds of thousands of tents to accommodate pilgrims. The stay-at-home mum from South Africa will board a bus along with her group that will leave for Mina at 2.30am. From there, she expects to make the trek from Arafah to Muzdalifah. 'There are times where the bus route may have taken an extra hour to reach our hotel, but that was due to the police blockages around the Makkah area, but Alhamdulillah we are meant to bear with a little inconvenience for the greater reward of this journey,' she said. Tiry also shared that she had prepared for the heat by wearing a cotton hijab and using unscented products, as Muslims in the Ihram, a sacred state a Muslim must enter in to perform the Haj, cannot use perfumes or strongly scented products. Although travelling with her husband, she found companionship and support from two women she met during the trip. 'I've made 2 friends and it's like we've known one another forever,' she said. 'The support, familiarity and companionship you get is like no other in a short space of time. It's something you need while you're here as a lot of the time you won't be with your partner." Layali al-Tashriq Jaseem Khateebi, a Dubai resident, is also travelling with his wife and other family members for Hajj. 'We haven't started our journey to Mina yet. Because of the extreme heat, we will either go later this evening or early tomorrow morning." The stay in Mina, known as Layali al-Tashriq, is a time for pilgrims to recite the Holy Quran, offer prayers and nawafil, perform dhikr, and listen to Islamic lectures. Currently, Jaseem and his group are staying in Aziziya, a neighbourhood close to the holy sites. Khateebi described the crowds this year as massive, and while travelling to the holy sites is difficult due to the heat, he noted that most pilgrims stay inside their accommodations during the hottest part of the day. 'During the afternoon, hardly anyone steps outside, it's just too hot. Most pilgrims stay inside their hotels or accommodations until the temperatures drop,' he said. Jaseem added that many prefer to visit Masjid Al Haram in the evening or early morning. Despite the scorching heat and the large number of pilgrims, Jaseem commended the organisers for ensuring a smooth and safe experience. 'There are clear signage, regular announcements, and people helping us all along the way. It gives us peace of mind, especially for the elderly in our group,' he added. Organisations across the UAE, including the Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Centre and the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, sponsor free Hajj trips for Emiratis who are unable to afford the pilgrimage, including the elderly, widows, and divorced women. The official Hajj delegation of the country will also look after UAE pilgrims in the holy site by giving them free healthcare services and preparing them for their journeys.
Al Etihad
8 hours ago
- Al Etihad
MoHAP launches 'Hajj Safely' to support pilgrims at UAE's airports
3 June 2025 22:04 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has launched the 'Hajj Safely' campaign to support pilgrims travelling to perform Hajj from the UAE's airports. In a post on its official X account, the ministry said: "For a safe and healthy Hajj', we have provided support at the country's airports to pilgrims before the start of their journey, offering health and safety guidelines and conducting medical examinations. We wish all pilgrims an easy and safe journey, beginning with prevention and ending with health and wellbeing." The ministry offered health and safety guidelines to educate the pilgrims before travelling and administered the necessary medical examinations. For a 'safe and healthy Hajj', we provided support at the country's airports to pilgrims before the start of their journey, offering health and safety guidelines and conducting medical examinations. We wish all pilgrims an easy and safe journey, beginning with prevention and… — وزارة الصحة ووقاية المجتمع - MOHAP UAE (@mohapuae) June 3, 2025 Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
TAG 91.1
12 hours ago
- TAG 91.1
UAE provides airport health checks to Hajj pilgrims before travel
The UAE has sent medical teams to several international airports across the country under an initiative aimed at ensuring the health of Hajj pilgrims before their departure to Saudi Arabia. Under a campaign named 'A Healthy and Safe Hajj,' medical teams were deployed to Dubai International, Zayed International, and Sharjah International to provide free checkups- including blood pressure and blood sugar levels, especially for those with chronic diseases, the elderly, and pregnant women- and necessary vaccinations. The teams also provided medical advice to help pilgrims avoid heat exhaustion and physical distress. The UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention said the health and safety of pilgrims is a national priority and called on all pilgrims to adhere to health instructions and to contact medical teams if they have any questions or symptoms. The Ministry wished them a blessed Hajj, safe travels, and a safe return to the UAE.
