‘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.

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.

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.

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.