• Muslim pilgrims offer prayers at top of Mount Arafat during the Hajj. AP
    Muslim pilgrims offer prayers at top of Mount Arafat during the Hajj. AP
  • The Day of Arafat traditionally marks the high point of the Hajj. AP
    The Day of Arafat traditionally marks the high point of the Hajj. AP
  • Pilgrims assemble on the hill and its surrounding plain for hours of prayer and Quran recital. AP
    Pilgrims assemble on the hill and its surrounding plain for hours of prayer and Quran recital. AP
  • Cooling fans spray water over pilgrims. AP
    Cooling fans spray water over pilgrims. AP
  • Pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat. Reuters
    Pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat. Reuters
  • Pilgrims on their way to Mount Arafat. AFP
    Pilgrims on their way to Mount Arafat. AFP
  • People were up early on the Day of Arafat after Saudi Arabia's Minister for the Hajj advised them to avoid peak heat hours. AFP
    People were up early on the Day of Arafat after Saudi Arabia's Minister for the Hajj advised them to avoid peak heat hours. AFP
  • More than a million people converged on Makkah for the start of the annual pilgrimage on Wednesday. AFP
    More than a million people converged on Makkah for the start of the annual pilgrimage on Wednesday. AFP
  • Saudi security forces pray in Mina, near Makkah. AFP
    Saudi security forces pray in Mina, near Makkah. AFP
  • More pilgrims on their way to Mount Arafat. AFP
    More pilgrims on their way to Mount Arafat. AFP
  • For many Muslims, completing the Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. AFP
    For many Muslims, completing the Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. AFP

Hajj pilgrims advised to avoid peak heat hours on Day of Arafat


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  • Arabic

Saudi Arabia's Minister for the Hajj has told pilgrims to stay in their tents between 10am and 4pm on Thursday, warning of heat exhaustion when thousands scale a sacred hill on the outskirts of Makkah for the Day of Arafat.

Temperatures are hovering around 40°C as more than a million people converge on the holy city for the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia has increased efforts to ensure a safe event in the summer heat. Strict penalties have been enforced against illegal visitors to Makkah to prevent overcrowding.

Hajj Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah warned worshippers to use the transport provided to Mount Arafat rather than walking, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. He said random trips on foot "pose a significant threat to the flow of crowds and the safety of pilgrims".

Muslims perform morning prayers in Makkah's Grand Mosque on Tuesday. Reuters
Muslims perform morning prayers in Makkah's Grand Mosque on Tuesday. Reuters

The Day of Arafat traditionally marks the high point of the Hajj, when pilgrims assemble on the hill and its surrounding plain for hours of prayer and Quran recital. Mount Arafat is where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon. There is little to no shade on the 70-metre-high hill, leaving pilgrims exposed to the desert sun.

Saudi authorities said last year that 1,300 people died during the Hajj as temperatures reached 50°C. Many of the dead were unregistered pilgrims who lacked access to air-conditioned tents and buses.

This year more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials have been mobilised to ensure safety. Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry has warned that anyone attempting to perform the pilgrimage without a permit will face a fine of up to 20,000 riyals ($5,300). Those helping illegal pilgrims to travel to Makkah face even higher fines. Foreigners who breach the rules could be barred from entering Saudi Arabia for 10 years.

The Grand Mosque in Makkah from the air. Reuters
The Grand Mosque in Makkah from the air. Reuters

Artificial intelligence is also being used by authorities to monitor data and video, with a new fleet of drones in the skies above Makkah to help manage the crowds.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is mandatory for Muslims able to do so to perform the pilgrimage once in their lives. As of Sunday, more than 1.4 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for this year's rituals, officials said.

On Wednesday, robed pilgrims will perform the tawaf - walking seven times around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure at the centre of Makkah's Grand Mosque that is Islam's holiest site.

Pilgrims will perform the tawaf - walking seven times around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure at the centre of the Grand Mosque. AFP
Pilgrims will perform the tawaf - walking seven times around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure at the centre of the Grand Mosque. AFP

Before entering Makkah, pilgrims must first enter a state of purity, called ihram, which requires special dress and behaviour. Men wear a seamless shroud-like white garment that emphasises unity among believers, regardless of their social status or nationality. Women wear loose dresses, also white, exposing just their face and hands.

For many Muslims, completing the Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "I am so happy, it's such an amazing feeling," Reem Al Shogre, a 35-year-old Saudi national performing the pilgrimage for the first time, told AFP.

Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder

Started: October 2021

Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Industry: technology, logistics

Investors: A15 and self-funded 

 

Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books

MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 2

Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')

Barcelona 0

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.

Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:

1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition

Results

6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

Winner: Celtic Prince, David Liska (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).

7.05pm: Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

7.40pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Grand Argentier, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m

Winner: Arch Gold, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

9.25pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Ibn Malik, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.

10pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

Ant-Man%20and%20the%20Wasp%3A%20Quantumania
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPeyton%20Reed%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Rudd%2C%20Evangeline%20Lilly%2C%20Jonathan%20Majors%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Four%20scenarios%20for%20Ukraine%20war
%3Cp%3E1.%20Protracted%20but%20less%20intense%20war%20(60%25%20likelihood)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E2.%20Negotiated%20end%20to%20the%20conflict%20(30%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E3.%20Russia%20seizes%20more%20territory%20(20%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.%20Ukraine%20pushes%20Russia%20back%20(10%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EForecast%20by%20Economist%20Intelligence%20Unit%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm

Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Price: from Dh155,000

On sale: now

The biog

Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents

Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University

As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families

Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too

Full Party in the Park line-up

2pm – Andreah

3pm – Supernovas

4.30pm – The Boxtones

5.30pm – Lighthouse Family

7pm – Step On DJs

8pm – Richard Ashcroft

9.30pm – Chris Wright

10pm – Fatboy Slim

11pm – Hollaphonic

 

Updated: June 05, 2025, 6:02 AM