Over a million pilgrims have so far arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage, announced the Kingdom’s Passports Directorate.
A total of 1,221,463 have been registered by Friday, an increase of 70,348 from last year’s pilgrimage, it added according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Pilgrims arriving by air totaled 1,148,400, while 59,448 came by land and 13,311 came by sea....
Tech-conscious Indonesian pilgrims this year can count on their smartphones to make the pilgrimage easier by using the updated Smart Hajj application launched by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Available only to Android smartphone users since 2016, the app is available on Google Play Store and has been updated from its earlier version with more features on its menu.
“We have added more...
Winter sun is the main attraction, with the run-up to the New Year maxing out global travel search dates for Dubai
The UAE has witnessed a 5 percent rise in travellers searching for flights to the Gulf country in 2018 compared to last year, according to UK-based travel website Skyscanner.
Dubai ranked number one in the emirate for global tourists, with the winter sun and New Year both being...
Saudi media minister says more than 800 foreign media representatives are expected to cover the Hajj this year
JEDDAH: A new online portal will be the official source of news, announcements and information about the Hajj, including all associated initiatives, activities and events, the Ministry of Media said on Friday.
Media Minister Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad, who officially launched the...
Starbull will probably become China’s first tourism application featuring blockchain technology when it officially debuts next month, Shanghai Daily learned today.
With blockchain and smart contract technology, Starbull can make deals faster, direct with hotels, airlines and traveling agency firms. It may challenge the dominant marketing positions of online agencies like Ctrip and offer 15 to...
Saudi Arabian Airlines, Saudia, continues to successfully implement the Hajj operational plan, which targets transporting more than 1.1 million pilgrims from different countries during the arrival and return stages.
Operations began for Hajj flights on Saturday, July 14, 2018, and the first flight was (SV5902), arriving at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah from...
The Saudi Red Crescent Authority is intensifying its preparation efforts for the coming Hajj season, the Saudi Press agency reported Monday.
The organization will offer emergency services for pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and all roads leading to the city, as well as other sacred sites during pilgrimage. It will also be serving guests of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
Around 2,631...
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett credits technology with the record number of tourists that arrived in the island last year.
Speaking at the recent Global Digital Marketing Summit, that had its main conference room at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston, Barlett also dismissed claims that Jamaica’s fortune was as a result of the damage to other small islands by hurricanes.
According...
The Ministry of Labor and Social Development has launched an electronic service to provide temporary work during this Hajj season via the Ajeer portal, which is for companies offering Hajj services and those who wish to work during the Hajj season, as well as documenting the contractual relationship between them.
The move by the ministry is to provide an electronic market that shows the...
By Allison DiLiegro for Fathom | Egypt had been at the top of my list since seventh-grade history class. To me, the Cradle of Civilization was a graduate-level travel locale, the grandest stop on a Grand Tour. So in January 2018, when I heard tourists were going back after a lull in political unrest, I booked a flight for the spring.
The Pyramid of Djoser in the Saqqara necropolis.PHOTO BY...