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New Straits Times
05-06-2025
- Climate
- New Straits Times
Haj begins with over 1.5 million pilgrims braving scorching 40°C heat
MAKKAH: More than 1.5 million pilgrims joined Islam's most important rite under a beating sun on Wednesday, as the haj kicked off with the Saudi hosts scrambling to avoid last year's 1,000-plus deaths in sweltering heat. With temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), robed pilgrims slowly circled the Kaabah, the black cube at the heart of Makkah's Grand Mosque which is Islam's holiest site. Others arrived en masse in the sprawling tent city of Mina on Makkah's outskirts, where they will stay overnight before the haj's high-point Thursday – prayers on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have delivered his final sermon. "You feel like you're not in this world," Khitam, a 63-year-old pilgrim, told AFP by phone, saying that "before haj, I used to watch the Grand Mosque on TV all day." Before entering Makkah, pilgrims must first enter a state of purity, called ihram, which requires special dress and behaviour. Men don a seamless shroud-like white garment that emphasises unity among believers, regardless of their social status or nationality. Women, in turn, wear loose dresses exposing just their faces and hands. Authorities said over 1.5 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for the haj, one of the five pillars of Islam that must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means. Officials have ratcheted up heat protection measures such as extra shade to avoid a repeat of last year, when 1,301 people died as temperatures hit 51.8C. "Last year, the heat was extremely intense, and people were lying on the streets, on the middle of the road and next to the walls," Alaa Refai, a pilgrim from Iraq, told AFP, adding that he saw several dead people during the previous haj. "This year the roads are empty," he added. Following last year's lethal heatwave, authorities have mobilised more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials to improve protection. Shaded areas have been enlarged by 50,000 square metres (12 acres), thousands of additional medics will be on standby and more than 400 cooling units will be deployed, Haj Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah told AFP last week. Artificial intelligence technology will help process the deluge of data, including video from a new fleet of drones, to better manage the massive crowds. "The scene in Mina this year was completely different. We noticed that most pilgrims kept to their... tents instead of exposing themselves to the sun," Ibrahim bin Saleh Al-Mazni, from the Al-Furqan group for haj tours, told AFP from Mina. "This reflects the success of the awareness campaign" of authorities he added, which have been striving to dissuade pilgrims from staying in the sun – with many faithful believing hardship was essential to haj. Earlier this week, Saudi authorities called on pilgrims to stay inside their tents between 10am and 4pm on Thursday during the haj's climax at Mount Arafat, when the desert sun is at its harshest. There, pilgrims assemble on the high hill and its surrounding plain for hours of prayer and Quran recital, staying there until the evening. There is little to no shade on Mount Arafat, leaving pilgrims directly exposed to the blistering desert sun for hours. Authorities said most of the deaths last year were among unregistered pilgrims who lacked access to air-conditioned tents and buses. This year, they have cracked down on the unregistered, using frequent raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts. A billboard reading "No haj without permit" greeted pilgrims as they arrived in Makkah. Haj permits are allocated to countries on a quota basis and distributed to individuals by lottery. But even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs prompt many to attempt the haj without a permit, even though they risk arrest and deportation if caught. Large crowds at the haj have proved hazardous in the past, most notably in 2015 when a stampede during the "stoning the devil" ritual in Mina killed up to 2,300 people in the deadliest haj disaster. Saudi Arabia earns billions of dollars a year from the haj, and the lesser pilgrimage known as umrah, undertaken at other times of the year.--AFP
Saba Yemen
09-04-2025
- Science
- Saba Yemen
Inspecting secondary school exams, summer activities in several Sana'a directorates
Sana'a - Saba: The Undersecretaries of the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (Hadi Ammar, Mohammed Ghallab, and Talib Dahan) conducted an inspection visit to the Hamdan District in Sana'a Governorate to monitor the progress of the General Secondary Certificate exams and summer course activities. The visit included testing centers such as Imam Ali and Al-Sadaqa, as well as summer course centers such as Al-Furqan and Al-Fath, where they were assured of the discipline of the testing process and student turnout for summer activities. The delegation was accompanied by the Director of the District, Fahd Attia, and local officials and listened to a detailed explanation of the progress of the exams and summer programs. The Undersecretaries praised the efforts and resilience of the educational staff despite the challenges resulting from the "American aggression," considering the summer courses a means of strengthening religious and national identity and confronting the "soft war." Other officials also visited testing centers and summer courses in the Al-Haymah Al-Kharijiyah and Al-Dakhiliyah districts, Bani Hashish, and Manakhah, where they reviewed the progress of work and heard reports from education officials in those areas. The visit concluded with appreciation for community and educational efforts, emphasizing the importance of supporting summer activities to strengthen youth culturally and religiously. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (Local)
