JEDDAH — The skies above Makkah will witness the phenomenon of the sun aligning directly over the Holy Kaaba on Thursday, May 28, at approximately 12:18 PM Makkah time. Jeddah Astronomy Society Director Eng. Majed Abu Zahra described the phenomenon as a precise astronomical event that attracts wide interest among those seeking to determine the Qibla direction. He noted that it provides a direct opportunity to verify geographical and astronomical calculations without complex instruments, occurring when the sun reaches its apparent position directly above the Holy Kaaba and its rays fall nearly perpendicular to it. Abu Zahra stated that at…
Author: Editorial Team
Amid soaring temperatures and emotional reunions, thousands of UAE pilgrims arriving in Makkah for this year’s Hajj say the spiritual experience has already outweighed the physical exhaustion of the journey. With pilgrims preparing to head to the holy sites in the coming hours, many described their first moments in the holy city as overwhelming, emotional, and deeply moving, especially those traveling with family. For Emirati pilgrims Fatima Al Mansoori and Maryam Al Mansoori, the journey to Hajj began long before arriving in Makkah on May 20, ahead of the annual pilgrimage season. Stay up to date with the latest news.…
MINA — Pilgrims have completed their arrival at Mina to spend the Day of Tarwiyah on Monday, amid a spiritual atmosphere, in preparation for next day’s standing at Arafat, the climax of the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. The entrances to Mina witnessed a high level of crowd-flow efficiency, with field monitoring by various security, health, and service sectors, which mobilized their capabilities to receive pilgrims and provide them with the necessary care from the moment they arrived at the designated camps. The Day of Tarwiyah is considered a key stage in the Hajj rituals, during which pilgrims head to Mina…
MINA — Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif inspected on Monday the workflow at the Hajj security command and control center at the Public Security headquarters in Mina. During the visit, the minister reviewed the mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of security and traffic plans, as well as preparations for transporting pilgrims to Arafat on Tuesday. During his tour of the center’s operations rooms, the minister received a briefing from Director of Public Security and Chairman of the Hajj Security Committee Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Bassami on the field monitoring phases…
MINA — Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel visited the field hospital of the Ministry of Interior in Arafat on Monday. During the visit, he reviewed the hospital’s readiness and the healthcare services provided during the Hajj days. The minister listened to a briefing on the hospital’s operational capacity, service delivery pathways, and procedures for handling urgent and emergency cases, including heat exhaustion and sunstroke. The briefing also covered resuscitation services, short-term intensive care, medical observation, infection control measures, and preventive medicine services. Al-Jalajel also reviewed the latest operational developments at the field hospital and its role in supporting the healthcare…
The Dubai Dining Awards 2026, presented by KT Luxe, celebrate the venues and visionaries redefining how the city experiences hospitality today. From boundary-pushing immersive concepts and refined tasting menus to homegrown success stories and cultural tastemakers, here are this year’s winners shaping the city’s distinct dining landscape. Krasota Best Sensory Experience Krasota felt genuinely unlike anything else I have tried in Dubai this year, or ever for that matter. From the moment the experience begins, you are completely immersed in a world where food, technology, sound, art and storytelling all work together in a way that feels incredibly considered rather…
Sri Lanka has announced free tourist visa, in the form of an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), for nationals of 40 countries. Starting May 25, this scheme includes nationals of India, UAE, Pakistan, among other nations. This applies to those holding diplomatic, official, service, or ordinary passports, according to Sri Lanka’s official ETA website. All foreign nationals from these 40 countries, along with nationals of Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore, who have bilateral reciprocal agreements with Sri Lanka, must obtain the ETA prior to arrival. While the ETA is free effective May 25, if fees were paid by any of these nationals before…
MINA — The National Center for Meteorology (NCM) revealed that Mina recorded a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius on Monday, the Day of Tarwiyah, with wind speeds reaching 26 km/h and humidity levels peaking at 36 percent. NCM stated that Arafat has remained the hottest among the holy sites since the start of the season, having recorded 48 degrees Celsius last Saturday. Preliminary readings indicate that temperatures in Arafat could reach approximately 45 degrees Celsius during peak hours on Tuesday, the Arafat Day. NCM spokesperson Hussein Al-Qahtani said that the center continues to monitor weather conditions at the holy sites…
Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Karthikeyan Gunasekar and Alpha Data’s Mohammed Abrar explore how AI-powered autonomy is reshaping enterprise infrastructure. Source: Tahawul Tech
More than 30 cafés across the UAE are inviting residents to stop by for a complimentary or discounted coffee while learning more about multiple sclerosis (MS), as part of a nationwide awareness initiative taking place on May 30 and 31. The campaign, launched in collaboration with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), aims to spark conversations around the neurological condition through simple, community-led experiences built around coffee culture and social gatherings. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, disrupting communication between the brain and body. Symptoms can vary widely and may include fatigue, numbness, vision…