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.

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's New Corniche - Gigantic And Modern Achievement

The new North Corniche in Jeddah Governorate is considered as a modern model comparable to the finest waterfronts in the world in terms of the magnitude of the accomplishment of the project, which is worth SR 180 million and spread over a lengthy area of 3.8 kilometers.

Beautiful View of Jeddah Corniche

The Mayor of Jeddah, Dr. Hani Abu Ras said that the North Corniche project comes within the framework of the strong support provided by the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince, as well as the efforts of Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Makkah region to make Jeddah as a global model city.

40 YEARS AGO - YOUR FAVORITE CAR

Imagine that forty years ago, how was your favorite car.

Amazing . . . . beautiful . . . . comfortable . . . . luxury . . . . and . . . . 

This advertisement was printed in a US magazine in December 1971.

4 Truths About Children Who Drown . . .

You think that it could never happen to your family, but each year many children drown. These incidents are not only preventable but predictable. Here are the four truths about children who drown and what you can do to help keep your children safe around water.

Children drown quickly and silently — in a matter of seconds. Adults who are present when a child drowns are often distracted in some way, by talking on the phone, chatting with other adults around the pool or reading.

What you can do about it:

►Actively supervise your children around water, and have a phone nearby to call for help in an emergency.

►When there are several adults present and children are swimming, use a Water Watcher card to designate an adult as the Water Watcher to prevent gaps in supervision.

Desert Wanderers

Some see the desert for its wild beauty and open spaces, the soaring dunes that change color with each hour of the day and the wide spaces that appear barren, but which are covered with small plants and intricate flowers. Others consider deserts a part of their history and heritage; adventurers like to follow the old camel caravan paths, from water well to water well; families may see a trip to the desert as a chance to teach their children how to survive with limited resources.

An Evening In The Desert

Whatever draws you to the desert, it is a place to experience nature in its wild beauty and simplicity. But in the desert simplicity doesn’t mean safe or even easy, and those who don’t prepare for a trip to the desert can quickly find themselves in trouble or even in life threatening situations.

 

Cliffhanger – a journey

This sensational image from the former mountain village of Habalah, about 40 miles from Abha, in Saudi Arabia, was captured by Askander Akram.

Village Of Habalah

The name Habalah means the hanging village, and it is located on the top of a cliff, which is about 1000 feet high. This cliff is only accessible by cable car making it a popular tourist destination.