Muhammad most popular name for London babies

Muhammad is the most popular name for baby boys in London for the first time, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.

Combined spellings of the Muslim prophet’s name have topped the list of names for newborn boys in England for the past three years, but now the single spelling Muhammad has ranked highest in the capital with 768 registered births last year, ahead of Daniel with 666.

The Geographic Zone Codes (Area / Phone Codes) In KSA Changed

One more digit, the number (1), will be added to the six geographic zone codes in the Kingdom.
All land line numbers in the Kingdom will be modified by adding the digit (1) after the zero in the current zone codes. The zone codes 01, 02, 03, 04, 06 and 07 will become 011, 012, 013, 014, 016 and 017; for example, Riyadh 011 425 xxx5, Jeddah 012 278 xxx5, etc.

This change will be carried out in phases rather than all at once. On Monday, May 13, 2013, the Riyadh geographic area will be the first stage of the conversion. On Sunday, Aug 18, 2013, the change will be applied to all other geographic areas of the Kingdom.

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The change experienced by subscribers will be limited to adding one digit to the six geographic zone codes. Adding this digit will change only the method of dialing to land line numbers outside the local calling area.
It is important to note that this change will not include the method of dialing among fixed lines within the same city, which will remain as it is now. However, when dialing from mobiles to fixed lines, the new digit will have to be added. Also, the digit will have to be added when calling from outside Saudi Arabia into the Kingdom.

Among the most important reasons for this change is the need to increase the range of numbers available for public mobile communications services, as well as for fixed services, and to contribute to the ability to introduce new services and to adopt new technologies and applications. In addition, this change will enhance the ability of the National Numbering Plan to accommodate new developments in services and growth in the number of subscriptions and users.

Haia: Women shouldn't work after 7 p.m.

The chief of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia), Abdul Latif Al-Asheikh, says women should only work until 7 p.m. because working late hours affects their family life. He says it is also not good for men to work shifts that end late at night.

Al-Asheikh said it was unacceptable for women to work until midnight. “Women should work reasonable hours in order to lead normal lives with their families.” He said that “current working hours in the marketplace are deeply disorganized, and unlike work regulations in other parts of the world.”

“Men and women salespersons are not given their human and familial rights and are made to work long hours. Workers in the marketplace simply do not have rights. “Workers in stores are subjected to practices tantamount to slavery. If the Ministry of Labor is serious about working in the public interest and helping localize jobs for Saudi citizens, it has to set regulations for working hours like developed countries,” Al-Asheikh said. “Our lives, first and foremost, revolve around obeying the commands of Allah.

Mataf Bridge Ready To Ease Umrah For Disabled, Elderly

The new Mataf bridge around the Holy Kaaba opens for pilgrims this week. Only disabled and elderly pilgrims will be allowed to use the circular bridge that can hold 7,000 wheelchair-borne pilgrims per hour.

“Since the bridge would be set apart for weak, infirm and disabled pilgrims, the movement of able-bodied pilgrims below on the ground floor will become easier as that area will be free from wheelchairs that used to clutter in an already crowded area,” said the Haj Ministry’s spokesman Hatim Qadi.

Authorities have stepped up preparations to receive millions of pilgrims in the second half of Ramadan as they come from across the world to perform Umrah and attend special prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

The Central Haj Committee, chaired by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, reviewed the arrangements made to ensure the security and comfort of pilgrims. The governor urged public and private agencies to extend the best possible services to the guests of God.

‘Free Visa’ Dealers Face Crackdown

The Labor Ministry is taking new measures to prevent illegal visa trade. Officials said the ministry had amended the Labor Law to block fake firms from recruiting foreigners. Work permits issued by fake companies, commonly described as ‘free visas’, are being blamed for various malpractices in the Kingdom’s labor market.

Labor Minister Adel Fakeih has approved amendments to Article 15 of the executive bylaw by adding cases when recruitment applications could be rejected. Nearly four million guest workers have arrived in the Kingdom on ‘free visas.’

“If any firm presented an application to the ministry or labor office providing fake information and was confirmed after inspection, all recruitment procedures for that firm will be stopped and the visas issued for that firm will be canceled,” the new law said.

World-Class Pilgrim City In Makkah Soon

A full-fledged pilgrim city with state-of-the-art facilities will be set up in Makkah, similar to the one planned for Madinah, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to extend world-class services to the millions of pilgrims who come for Haj and Umrah from around the world.

Haj Minister Bandar Hajar has presented a proposal to Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal for establishing a massive city in Makkah to receive and see off pilgrims.

The city will have offices for all foreign Haj missions in addition to various services required by pilgrims.
It will also have housing units, offices of Umrah companies, museums, exhibition centers and heritage markets. A committee comprising representatives of government departments has been set up to study all aspects of the project.

The ministry is currently looking for a suitable place for the project, said Hajar. The final plan will be presented to the governor after the completion of studies, he said. The government recently unveiled plans to establish a pilgrim city in Madinah on an area of 1.6 million square meters along Hijrah Road with modern facilities and public transport systems to house 200,000 people.

It’s a blessing to serve the Guests of Allah, says Sudais

Makkah – Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, Head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, made late Tuesday night an inspection tour of the ongoing expansion work at the Grand Mosque.

Speaking to reporters, he said that serving the holy mosques and the pilgrims as well as extending to them the best possible facilities is a great blessing from Allah Almighty to this great nation, its leaders and people.

“We are honored by the order and directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to open the ground floor, first floor and the first mezzanine of the annex of the Grand Mosque and its outer squares. We are also witnessing the unprecedented progress in the expansion of the mataf (circumambulation area around the Holy Ka’aba),” he said, adding that the Umarah pilgrims and visitors of the Grand Mosque will take advantage of the first phase of the expansion project in the holy month of Ramadan.

3000 Youths Volunteer To Serve Pilgrims In Ramadan

Makkah — Some 3000 young Saudis have volunteered to provide services to Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

The services they are expected to provide include first aid, guidance, interpretation, delivery of iftar (fast-breaking) meals and any other assistance the pilgrims may need while visiting the Grand Mosque.

Ibrahim Al-Zahrani, who regularly joins iftar services at the mosque, said it was a great honor to be part of the team rendering services to the visitors of the Haram during Ramadan.

Mohammad Al-Otaibi has been a volunteer pushing wheelchairs of elderly and sick pilgrims for eight years continuously. Despite the fatigue from pushing wheelchairs amid huge crowds of people within the mosque complex, he feels contented, especially when a visitor supplicates for him.

Saudi Riyals 62 billion Makkah Metro Project Launch In 2014

The SR 62 billion new Makkah public transport system, including a metro with four lines and 88 stations and a fast bus service network, will bring about dramatic improvement in transport of pilgrims and citizens in the city, said Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar.

He said the first phase of the project, costing around SR 25.5 billion, would begin by the middle of next year. It will be completed in three years. There will be underground lines in areas surrounding the Grand Mosque until the third ring road, while the lines beyond that region will be built on suspended bridges, he said.

The first phase includes construction of a 30-km line from Um Al-Qura University in Abidiya to Sayeda Aisha Mosque. Al-Balad Al-Ameen, a company owned by the Makkah Mayoralty, conducted a technical study on the metro, which will be implemented by Makkah Railway Company.

Jeddah Magazine 52nd Edition

Jeddah Magazine 52nd Edition

Jeddah Magazine 51st Edition

Jeddah Magazine 51st Edition

KSA needs 4 million expatriate workers

Saudi Arabia will require more than four million foreign workers during the next 10 years to carry out gigantic industrial and infrastructure projects including the Riyadh-Jeddah railway and build economic cities, a prominent Alkhobar-based Indian businessman said.

“Saudi Arabia is a virgin market with many business and investment opportunities. Many giant projects are under construction including the GCC railway, the GCC power grid and Jazan Economic City. All these projects will require at least four million new foreign workers in the coming years,” Siddeek Ahmed, CMD of Eram Group, told Arab News.

King Abdullah extends amnesty period till November 4, 2013

JEDDAH: King Abdullah, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has extended by four months the amnesty period for undocumented expatriates in the Kingdom to correct their status.

A royal order cited by a Ministry of Interior statement and carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday said the original three-month grace period, which ends on July 4, will be extended to the end of the current Hijra year 1434, equivalent to November 4, 2013.

Once the new deadline expires, inspections by appropriate agencies such as the Ministries of Labor and Interior, will resume inspections in various regions of the Kingdom and all penalties will apply on violators, the statement said.

With this new deadline, the Ministries of Interior and Labor urged all undocumented expatriates who have yet to register to come forward and have their status corrected.

Legal Workers Who Were Never Handed Iqamas

With hardly a week left for the three-month grace period to end, the fate of thousands of expatriates who are not in possession of their iqamas or even know the number, hangs in balance. Worse still is the situation of those expatriates who not only do not have a clue about their iqamas but do not have their passports with them either.

Cases of missing Iqamas

It is mandatory for illegal workers to at least give their iqama number if not produce it before the Saudi passport authorities to facilitate exit from the Kingdom or rectify their job status.

It’s common practice for sponsors in remote villages not to hand over iqamas to their employees like drivers, farm workers and shepherds, mainly to prevent them from running away. In several cases, the sponsors do not even apply for iqamas for their employees once they land in Saudi Arabia. Such expats do not have any documents, and at times like this, they are the worst hit.

Saudi Arabia weekend now Friday-Saturday: Royal Order

JEDDAH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has today issued a royal order that Friday and Saturday should be the new weekend holidays. The original weekend in the Kingdom was Thursday-Friday.

Accordingly, the order will be enforced Saturday, June 29, for all ministries, government departments, financial institutions as well as the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, the Capital Market Authority, and the Saudi Stock Exchange.

Abdullah’s Islamic unity vision lauded

JEDDAH — The Islamic unity vision of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and his initiative to convene the Islamic solidarity summit in Makkah this week has come for all-round praise from Arab and Muslim leaders and officials.

King Abdullah

King Abdullah II of Jordan said King Abdullah’s summit initiative comes in response to the complicated regional challenges and circumstances faced by several regional and Islamic countries. These challenges, he said, required coordination and integration of efforts so as to boost Islamic solidarity and find solutions to the issues facing the Ummah.