Authorities detain 8 suspects for transporting 28 people not permitted to perform Hajj

Authorities detain 8 suspects for transporting 28 people not permitted to perform Hajj
The Interior Ministry has announced that Hajj Security Forces have apprehended eight suspects at Makkah’s entrances for transporting 28 people who did not have Hajj permits. (SPA)
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Updated 05 June 2024
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Authorities detain 8 suspects for transporting 28 people not permitted to perform Hajj

Authorities detain 8 suspects for transporting 28 people not permitted to perform Hajj
  • Offenders stopped for breaching rules and regulations
  • Suspects will spend 15 days in detention, pay fine for each violator transported

MAKKAH: The Interior Ministry has announced that Hajj Security Forces have apprehended eight suspects at Makkah’s entrances for transporting 28 people who did not have Hajj permits, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The suspects — three non-Saudis and five from the Kingdom — were stopped for breaching Hajj rules and regulations after transporting violators who had failed to obtain permits required to perform Hajj.
The General Directorate of Passports’ seasonal administrative committees issued administrative decisions against the offenders, who will each serve 15 days in prison and pay a fine of SR10,000 ($2,666) for each violator transported.
The offenders will also be named and shamed and the non-Saudis will be deported after serving their prison terms.
Authorities have also impounded three vehicles which were used to transport the violators.
The ministry has called on all citizens and expatriates to abide by Hajj rules, regulations and instructions so that all pilgrims enjoy a safe, secure and comfortable time performing Hajj rituals.


Jazan’s craft revival supports heritage goals

Jazan’s craft revival supports heritage goals
Updated 16 sec ago
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Jazan’s craft revival supports heritage goals

Jazan’s craft revival supports heritage goals

RIYADH: The Artisans House in Jazan is helping to preserve traditional handicrafts that have declined in recent years in the face of modern technology.

This effort, to help contribute to the region’s cultural heritage, supports the Heritage Commission’s goal of developing Saudi artisans’ skills while promoting the aesthetic and authentic qualities of local crafts through training, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions.

Guided by specialized trainers, participants learn traditional techniques and explore modern design adaptations, the SPA added.

The program aims to revive qa’aid making, once used to create beds and chairs in traditional Jazan homes. Trainers teach palm frond binding methods and encourage innovative designs suitable for today’s markets.

Trainees in taqiyah weaving use white thread for traditional knitted caps.

Artisans also work with seashells to make bracelets, necklaces, ornaments, bags, and sculptures inspired by marine themes.

The Artisans House provides local youngsters with hands-on experience in heritage crafts, serving as a center for cultural education and training.

The initiative supports knowledge transfer to future generations and aligns with the Year of Handicrafts 2025, which aims to preserve and promote Saudi Arabia’s craft traditions.


Tokyo governor to attend top women’s summit in Riyadh

Tokyo governor to attend top women’s summit in Riyadh
Updated 11 min 20 sec ago
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Tokyo governor to attend top women’s summit in Riyadh

Tokyo governor to attend top women’s summit in Riyadh
  • Yuriko Koike will discuss role of women in public leadership positions
  • Fortune Magazine’s conference features outstanding female leaders from Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies

TOKYO: Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike will attend Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women International Summit in Riyadh on May 20 and 21.

Koike, who will be in the country until May 23, will speak at the closing main-stage session and also participate in a panel discussion titled “Leadership: Women in Public Service.”

The theme of the conference this year is “A New Era for Business: Partnering for Global Prosperity.”

Koike will discuss the role of female leaders in the public sector and talk about Tokyo’s advanced initiatives for female leaders and government officials.

She will also have discussions with representatives of local government agencies, and conduct site visits to pursue collaboration on ways to develop city governance.

Fortune Magazine’s conference features outstanding female leaders from Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies, as well as from sectors including government, philanthropy, education, sports, and the arts.


Saudi Arabia condemns escalation of Israeli military operations in Gaza

Saudi Arabia condemns escalation of Israeli military operations in Gaza
Updated 19 min 45 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia condemns escalation of Israeli military operations in Gaza

Saudi Arabia condemns escalation of Israeli military operations in Gaza
  • The Kingdom said Israel's actions contradict the will of the international community, violate human rights law and United Nations charters

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday strongly condemned the Israeli military’s intensified operations in both northern and southern Gaza, denouncing what it described as an expansion of the occupation of large parts of the territory.

In an official statement, the Kingdom said the actions “contradict the will of the international community, violate human rights law and United Nations charters, and obstruct efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.”

The ministry renewed Saudi Arabia’s firm denunciation of all ground operations conducted by Israeli forces, warning that such actions threaten the lives of Palestinian civilians and further aggravate the already dire humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave.

The statement also cautioned against the continuation of “flagrant and unjustified violations,” emphasizing that they constitute a breach of international law and a direct assault on the rights of the Palestinian people.


Technology to improve accessibility of Qur’an studies highlighted at competition

Technology to improve accessibility of Qur’an studies highlighted at competition
Updated 55 min 21 sec ago
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Technology to improve accessibility of Qur’an studies highlighted at competition

Technology to improve accessibility of Qur’an studies highlighted at competition
  • App allows deaf and mute people to recite the Qur’an using sign language
  • Prizewinning technology offers emotional support from Islamic scripture and modern psychology

JEDDAH: A competition to promote Islamic values and new technologies to make Qur’an studies more accessible to those with disabilities was held in Jeddah on Sunday.

The closing ceremony of the 16th edition of the Jeddah University Qur’an Competition for the Hijri year 1446 AH was held under the patronage of Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, the governor of Jeddah.

More than 1,000 students took part in the competition, which featured five components: memorization and recitation; people with disabilities; technological challenges in Qur’anic services; Qur’anic calligraphy; and a photography competition.

Winners and participating institutions were honored by Prince Saud at the end of the ceremony.

Ibrahim Shaheen from Egypt took first place in the visually impaired category and received an SR7,000 ($1,866) cash prize. The 17-year-old memorized the entire Qur’an since the age of 12, using braille to study the holy book.

He told Arab News: “I spent four years memorizing the Qur’an starting at the age of nine,” he said. “Reciting the five parts for the competition was very easy and smooth, and I generally review the entire Qur’an every two weeks.”

Safaa Habeeb Allah, head of the judging committee for the technology challenge, said the competition was “a wonderful opportunity for students from various universities and schools to contribute to serving the Qur’an.”

The winner of the SR20,000 technology challenge was the Wijdan app  which provides users with emotional support by using a combination of resources from Islamic scripture and modern psychology.

The app was developed by Radwa Ammar Abdel-Moaty, Suad Anis Al-Saadi, and Gharam Khalil Al-Sharabi, all from Jeddah University.

Abdel-Moaty told Arab News that the inspiration for the app came after noticing similarities between modern psychological theories and passages in the Qur’an.

“This observation was the seed for the Wijdan project, the team combined the Qur’an and psychology using artificial intelligence, and the app mainly consists of two components: the psychological link and the emotion library,” Abdel-Moaty explained.

“The psychological link is an interactive chatbot that engages with the user, identifies emotions and responds based on the Qur’an and Sunnah. The emotion library acts as an index of human emotions mentioned in both the Qur’an and Sunnah.”

Abdel-Moaty added: “We used several technologies. First, we applied text and sentiment analysis using NLP (Natural Language Processing) in the interactive chatbot.

“We also developed smart emotion dictionaries and a reminder system that tracks your recurring emotions — whether sadness or joy — and offers advice and guidance accordingly.”

The app also has text-to-speech technology to make it accessible to those with disabilities, and includes AI-generated illustrations for children.

Another aspect of the competition focused on technologies to help people with disabilities to learn the Qur’an.

The section winner was “Talaa — With Every Sign, a Verse is Recited,” a project that allows deaf and mute people to recite the Qur’an by using sign language.

It was created by Obay Rayan Ghulam and Aseel Ahmed Al-Hammadi from Jeddah University, who received a cash prize of SR10,000.

Obay told Arab News: “The inspiration for the project came from learning that the deaf and mute make up approximately 3.4 percent of the global population — around 55 million Muslims.

“Though the percentage may seem small, the number is enormous. Despite this, there are very few specialized resources or experts catering to their needs.”

Obay continued: “The core idea is to give this segment of the community the same independence everyone else enjoys — the ability to recite anytime, anywhere, without needing an interpreter or teacher. All they need is sign language and a device.

“They can see whether their sign is correct and whether they’ve recited the verse accurately, then move to the next one. There’s also a page where they can learn the Qur’an by reading the verses, memorizing them, and then reciting again.

“We used the Madinah Qur’an as our source, which shows the Qur’anic text in Arabic script with sign language letters above. For this, we used deep learning and computer vision techniques, particularly the YOLO (you only look once) model.”


Saudi project clears 1,095 mines in Yemen

Saudi project clears 1,095 mines in Yemen
Updated 19 May 2025
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Saudi project clears 1,095 mines in Yemen

Saudi project clears 1,095 mines in Yemen
  • Project Masam trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment
  • Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians

RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 1,095 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.

The total included 1,056 unexploded ordnances, 32 anti-tank mines and seven anti-personnel mines, according to a recent report.

Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said that 494,351 mines have been cleared since the project began in 2018.

The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.

The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.

The project trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.

Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and delivery of humanitarian aid.