Saudi Arabia achieves unprecedented integration, efficiency during 2025 Hajj, says minister
MINA: Saudi Arabia has achieved unprecedented levels of integration, efficiency and service excellence during this year's Hajj, according to the Minister of Hajj and Umrah.
Tawfiq Al-Rabiah was speaking at the annual reception for dignitaries and senior Islamic figures who performed Hajj this year, which was held on Saturday in Mina and attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
This year saw the launch of the Hajj Transport Center, which served as the central hub for transportation across Makkah and the holy sites and was one of this year's notable achievements, said Al-Rabiah.
In terms of infrastructure, he added, the electric power capacity in the holy sites increased by 75 percent, with total investments exceeding SR3 billion ($800 million).
Logistically, the minister said: 'More than 7,000 flights from 238 destinations around the world were received. In addition, 4,700 Haramain High-Speed Railway trips and 2,500 shuttle bus journeys were operated, supported by the deployment of over 20,000 buses.'
He added: 'In the health sector, hospital bed capacity was expanded by over 60 percent. A new emergency hospital was inaugurated, and 71 rapid response units were deployed, tripling the emergency response capacity compared to previous years.'
Al-Rabiah also emphasized the success of the 'No Hajj Without a Permit' campaign, which played a vital role in maintaining order, protecting pilgrims and ensuring the safe management of crowds.
He said the campaign was launched to reinforce discipline, protect legitimate pilgrims and facilitate crowd management in a safe environment, enhancing smooth flow and improving organizational efficiency.
On the volunteer front, the Ministry of Health announced the participation of more than 5,000 health volunteers during this year's Hajj season, as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of medical services provided to pilgrims.
This initiative aligns with the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program and the Guests of God Service Program, launched in 2019 under Saudi Vision 2030, which aim to increase the number of volunteers and enhance their contribution to serving pilgrims.
The ministry said: 'The volunteers supported healthcare services across three main areas, preventive, therapeutic and support services, in various locations throughout the holy sites … as well as through active participation in hospitals and health centers.'
Authorities also praised the role of advanced technology and digital platforms that streamlined pilgrims' movements and access to services, while thousands of security personnel, health workers, and volunteers were deployed to offer support.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Championing the region's children living with disabilities
What if our world were designed so that every child, including those living with disabilities, had the care, support and opportunities they needed not just to survive, but to flourish? The children of today are growing up amid many unprecedented uncertainties, including economic instability, armed conflicts, pandemics and climate change — each posing compounding threats to their well-being. According to a UNESCO report, one in every seven children in the Middle East and North Africa region is living with a disability, totaling about 21 million children. Conflicts, displacement and under-resourced social services have left many children with disabilities isolated or excluded. Even in more stable settings, policy frameworks warrant greater attention to ensure they deliver universal, inclusive, affordable and quality support. As such, children living with disabilities and their carers disproportionately bear the brunt of multifaceted challenges. Even with the delivery of fragmented services, scaling is urgently needed in terms of reach, quality and funding. Without adequate scale-up, children with disabilities will continue to fall through the cracks of limited and disconnected programs, unable to access the full spectrum of services and support required for maximum impact. For instance, the exclusion of children with disabilities from early childhood centers and schools significantly reduces their access to crucial early interventions and denies them their right to learn, play and socialize with their peers. A number of gaping challenges are still present, such as a lack of inclusive education policies, inaccessible school facilities, curricula that are not adapted to special learning needs, and a shortage of adequately trained teachers to support children with special educational needs. During conflicts, schools are susceptible to destruction and become unsafe, forcing children to be cut off from vital school-based services, such as learning, psychosocial support and nutrition programs. Children with disabilities also face significant disparities in accessing quality healthcare. This includes challenges in early detection, accurate diagnosis and access to essential rehabilitation services and treatments. During conflicts, access to healthcare, lifesaving medications and rehabilitation services becomes ever more challenging and restrictive, exacerbating existing impairments and resulting in a spike in new disabilities due to conflict-related injuries or illnesses. Insufficient social protection programs for families of children with disabilities places immense financial strain on households, as families often have to incur high costs for care and treatment. At the same time, physical barriers significantly isolate children with disabilities, as public spaces, transport and buildings may lack accessibility features. Furthermore, children with disabilities are more likely to be abandoned or separated from their caregivers during conflicts or sudden displacement, leaving them not only physically vulnerable, but also defenseless to compounded trauma from fear, anxiety, isolation, stigma and exclusion in emergency settings. Governments can play an essential role in transforming the lives of children with disabilities. Safeguarding their well-being requires a well-designed mix of policies, programs, services and regulations, anchored by clear targets, sufficient budget allocations and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Children living with disabilities and their carers disproportionately bear the brunt of multifaceted challenges. Sara Al-Mulla Part of the solution lies in gathering reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive data on the status of children living with disabilities in order to understand their real-time needs and design high-impact programs and services accordingly. This information must then be tied to the work of government agencies — such as those responsible for disaster preparedness or disability-inclusive urban planning — to ensure a more coordinated approach. Inclusive education must be prioritized. This means investing in teacher training, designing inclusive-friendly curricula and making schools physically accessible. Schools could also be fertile grounds to improve access to sports, the arts and recreational activities for children with disabilities. In conflict zones, education efforts should include safe and accessible temporary learning spaces, remote learning options and training for teachers and humanitarian workers on how to support children with disabilities during emergencies. Psychosocial support services could help alleviate the burdens faced by children with disabilities, and their carers, and assist them in navigating the myriad challenges confronting them. This transformative service is crucial for directly addressing prevalent mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and trauma, which can significantly impact both children and those who care for them. Caregiver stipends and flexible work policies ought to be offered to significantly lighten families' financial burdens, while deploying vocational training programs tailored for caregivers and offering support for home-based income-generating activities are other options to improve the economic self-sufficiency of households. Regulatory frameworks must protect the rights of children with disabilities to access education, healthcare, social protection and participation in society, and prevent incidents of violence, abuse or neglect, and exploitation. In tandem, robust monitoring mechanisms should be deployed to ensure that all stakeholders comply with standards and are accountable for delivering these commitments. Healthcare services are imperative for protecting children with disabilities, starting with birth registration. Early detection and diagnosis programs must be supported, while simultaneously expanding access to affordable, quality rehabilitation services and offering disability-related services within hospitals and clinics across urban and rural areas. Moreover, governments can empower community health workers to deliver essential services to children with disabilities in rural areas. For children living in conflict zones, it is vital to include disability-related healthcare within humanitarian aid delivery, ensuring emergency medical teams are trained in alleviating the many healthcare burdens faced by children with disabilities. Sustained funding is essential to ensure undisrupted access to medication and specialized therapies, in addition to the provision of nutritious meals to counter critical levels of malnutrition. Furthermore, emergency response plans should commit to safeguarding the well-being of children with disabilities. This includes tracking their locations and ensuring essential services are available for them, such as psychosocial support, meals provision, healthcare services and caregiving assistance. Moreover, it is imperative that child protection schemes are put in place so that children do not fall prey to abuse and neglect. There remains a window of opportunity to improve the lives of children with disabilities and ensure they move from exclusion to empowerment. • Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children's literature. She can be contacted at
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Gaza's starvation crisis fuels deadly race for survival
KHAN YOUNIS: Each day, Palestinians in Gaza run a deadly gauntlet in hopes of getting food. Israeli troops open barrages of gunfire toward crowds crossing military zones to get to the aid, they say, and knife-wielding thieves wait to ambush those who succeed. Palestinians say lawlessness is growing as they are forced into a competition to feed their families. A lucky few manage to secure some packets of lentils, a jar of Nutella, or a bag of flour. Many return empty-handed and must attempt the ordeal again the next day. 'This is not aid. It's humiliation. It's death,' said Jamil Atili, his face shining with sweat as he made his way back last week from a food center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed private contractor. He had suffered a knife cut across his cheek amid the scramble for food and said a contractor guard pepper-sprayed him in the face. Still, he emerged with nothing for his 13 family members. I have nothing to feed my children. My heart is broken. Jamil Atili, Gaza resident 'I have nothing to feed my children,' he said, nearly crying. 'My heart is broken.' Israel began allowing food into Gaza this past month after cutting it off completely for 10 weeks, though UN officials say it is not enough to stave off starvation. Most of the supplies go to GHF, which operates four food distribution points inside Israeli military zones. A trickle of aid goes to the UN and humanitarian groups. Both systems are mired in chaos. Daily gunfire by Israeli troops toward crowds on the roads heading to the GHF centers has killed several hundred people and wounded hundreds more in the past weeks, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. At the same time, in past weeks, hungry crowds have overwhelmed most of the UN's truck convoys and stripped away the supplies. Israeli troops have opened fire to disperse crowds waiting for trucks near military zones, witnesses say — and on Tuesday, more than 50 people were killed, according to the ministry. 'I don't see how it can get any worse, because it is already apocalyptic. But somehow it does get worse,' said Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian affairs office. Thousands of people must walk miles to reach the GHF centers, three of which are in the far south outside the city of Rafah. Palestinians said the danger begins when the crowds enter the Israeli military zone encompassing Rafah. Mohammed Saqer, a father of three who risked the trip multiple times, said that when he went last week, tanks were firing over the heads of the crowds as drone announcements told everyone to move back. It's like it was "Squid Game,' Saqer said, referring to the dystopian thriller TV series in which contestants risk their lives to win a prize. Just raising your head might mean death, he said. He and others crawled forward, then left the main road. A shot rang out nearby, and they ducked, he said. They found a young man on the ground, shot in the back. The others assumed he was dead, but Saqer felt his chest — it was still warm, and he found a pulse. They carried him to a point where a car could pick him up. Saqer said he stood for a moment, traumatized by the scene. Then people shouted that the site had opened. The mad dash Everyone broke into a crazed run, he said. He saw several people wounded on the ground. One man, bleeding from his abdomen, reached out his hand, pleading for help. No one stopped. 'Everyone is just running to get to the aid, to get there first,' Saqer said. Omar Al-Hobi described the same scene four times when he went last week. Twice, he returned empty-handed; once, he managed to grab a pack of lentils. On the fourth day, he was determined to secure flour for his three children and pregnant wife. He said he and others inched their way forward under tank fire. He saw several people shot in the legs. One man fell bleeding to the ground, apparently dead, he said. Horrified, Al-Hobi froze, unable to move, 'but I remembered I have to feed my children.' He took cover in a greenhouse, then heard the announcement that the center was open and began to run. Avoiding thieves At the center, food boxes are stacked on the ground in an area surrounded by fences and earthen berms. Thousands rush in to grab what they can in a frantic melee. You have to move fast, Saqer said. Once supplies run out, some of those who came too late rob those leaving. He swiftly tore open a box and loaded the contents into a sack — juice, chickpeas, lentils, cheese, beans, flour and cooking oil. Then he took off running. There's only one route in and out of the center. But, knowing thieves waited outside, Saqer clambered over a berm, running the risk of being fired on by Israeli troops. 'It all depends on the soldiers' mood. If they are in a bad mood … they will shoot at me. If not, they will let me be,' he said. Heba Jouda said she saw a group of men beat up a boy of 12 or 13 years old and take his food as she left one of the Rafah centers. Another time, she said, thieves attacked an older man, who hugged his sack, weeping that his children had no food. They sliced his arm with a knife and ran off with the sack. Al-Hobi said he was trampled in the scramble for boxes. He managed to grab a bag of rice, a packet of macaroni. He snagged flour — but much of it was ruined in the chaos. At his family tent outside Khan Younis, his wife, Anwaar Saleh, said she will ration it all to make it last a week or so. 'We hope he doesn't have to go back. His life is the most important thing,' she said. Al-Hobi remains shaken — both by his brushes with death and the callousness that the race for food has instilled in everyone. 'No one will show you mercy these days. Everybody fends for themselves.'
Al Arabiya
8 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
International Yoga Day highlights Saudi Arabia's growing wellness movement
As the world marks International Yoga Day on June 21, a growing number of Saudis are rolling out their mats – not just for fitness, but for peace of mind. In a region where conversations around mental health are rapidly evolving, yoga is gaining ground as a tool for emotional balance, stress relief, and self-care. 'In Saudi Arabia, cultural shifts and increased awareness of holistic health have sparked interest in practices that support both mental and physical wellbeing,' Antony Bainbridge, Head of Clinical Services and Clinical Lead at Resicare Alliance, told Al Arabiya English in an interview. When Lana Nazer, Yoga and Wellness Instructor, first opened Karama Yoga Studio in Jeddah in 2016, yoga was relatively new in the mainstream wellness scene in Saudi Arabia. 'Not many people really knew what yoga was, and those who did had very limited access to it. There were almost no bilingual spaces that felt culturally familiar or inclusive, and very few studios offered the kind of variety and international standards of teaching that I was passionate about bringing to my community,' she told Al Arabiya English. Fast forward to today, the practice has seen exponential growth. 'We now teach thousands of students every year, many of them Saudi, and the appetite for holistic wellbeing is stronger than ever. There's a new generation redefining what health and movement look like, blending tradition with modern wellness in such a powerful and authentic way,' Nazer said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lana Nazer . لنا ناظر (@lananazer_official) In 2021, the Ministry of Sports launched the 'Saudi Yoga Committee,' a sports committee that operates under the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, in response to its increased popularity. According to the committee's website: 'Yoga has a large fan base across the country, and there is a genuine desire to supervise and develop its activities, as well as to support and improve the performance of yogis and sport professionals.' Societal shifts and inclusivity Once viewed as a niche or foreign concept, yoga is now part of mainstream wellness discussions in the Kingdom, particularly among youth and women. 'As stigma around mental health diminishes in Saudi Arabia, yoga has emerged as a socially acceptable, non-clinical way to manage stress and emotional challenges,' Bainbridge noted. The low-impact and accommodating nature of the sport makes it particularly favored by women in the Kingdom. 'At Karama Yoga, we teach with empathy. Every class is layered. We offer variations, we speak both Arabic and English, and we make sure everyone feels welcome, whether it's their first time or their hundredth. We honor tradition, but we teach in a modern, inclusive way that speaks to today's Saudi – mind, body, and soul,' Nazer said. Since the launch of Vision 2030, the percentage of women's involvement in sports in the Kingdom has increased by 150 percent, according to the General Authority of Statistics (GASTAT). Societal shifts are enabling women to take a proactive approach towards fitness and wellness – and yoga fits right in. The rise of mental wellbeing A 2025 study by Gymnation – the largest survey of its kind conducted in the Middle East – showed 92 percent of residents in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates value mental wellbeing. For many, yoga offers a culturally compatible outlet that blends mindfulness, movement, and spiritual reflection. 'Its focus on mindfulness and inner peace aligns with Islamic principles of reflection and self-care,' Bainbridge explained, adding that this makes yoga 'both culturally resonant and spiritually compatible.' The science backs it up. Yoga combines breathwork, gentle physical movement, and meditation – elements proven to regulate the nervous system and lower cortisol levels. 'Yoga fosters present-moment awareness and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping individuals self-regulate emotions,' Bainbridge said. In a fast-moving world, the practice offers a grounding space, according to Karama Yoga's founder. 'For young Saudis, it's become a powerful tool for self-awareness, confidence, and emotional strength. It helps cultivate inner calm, sharpen focus, and build resilience both on and off the mat. It's more than movement. It's emotional resilience, breathwork for anxiety, and a deeper connection to self,' she said. Even in clinical settings, the ancient practice is beginning to find its place. Bainbridge said: 'In Saudi Arabia, while still emerging, some rehabilitation and wellness clinics have started integrating yoga to support treatment for depression, PTSD, and stress-related disorders.' The goal isn't to replace therapy, he added, but to complement it – giving patients more tools to cope with trauma and emotional strain. So, could yoga be part of national health policy one day? Bainbridge and Nazer believe it should be. 'Yoga can be integrated into Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 health goals by promoting it in schools, workplaces, and public wellness programs,' he said. 'Training healthcare providers to use yoga as preventive and rehabilitative care, particularly for stress and lifestyle diseases, can position it as a cost-effective, culturally adaptive solution.' As for Nazer, she said: 'The future of yoga in Saudi is bold and beautiful. With Vision 2030 supporting wellness and female empowerment, I see yoga becoming more integrated into everyday life in schools, workplaces, retreats, and public spaces.' 'My dream is to have every person in Saudi to try yoga at least once by 2030. I truly believe Saudi is the future of wellness. We're not just following global trends anymore. We're leading them in our own way,' she added. As Saudi Arabia continues to embrace both innovation and tradition in its transformation, yoga appears to be more than a fleeting wellness trend – it's becoming a meaningful part of how people move, breathe, and feel better in their bodies and minds.
