Travelling for the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj) requires both spiritial and material preparation. Certain religious and logistical requirements must be met before one can set off for the trip.

Source : EffectiveIslamicParenting / 04 Sep 2014

Every year over 15 million pilgrims visit the holy city of Mecca Al-Mukarramah. As many as 6 million people travel for the rites of Hajj and Umrah. It is so memorable to see an airport filled with excited elegantly dressed pilgrims who are just about to depart for Mecca and fulfill a lifelong dream. It is  an incredibly special time for both the pilgrims and their family and careful planning is important to ensure a healthy and safe pilgrimage.

Source : Saudi Gazette / 07 Aug 2014

The head of the transportation committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry said this year's Umrah season has provided a $1.6 billion boost to the local economy.

Saad Al-Qurashi told Al-Watan daily that this figure includes accommodation, transport and food services.

Source : Saudi Gazette / 22 Jul 2014

The average price for a room in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque in Makkah has reached SR50,000 ($13,332) for the last 10 days of Ramadan, according to a report published in Makkah daily on Sunday.

Source : Ilmgate / 14 Jul 2014

It is an extremely bold statement for a person to claim that a Hadith on a particular subject does not exist.  For a person to substantiate such a claim, he/she must be able to verify that such a narration is not found in any of the 100,000 + Hadiths and thousands of volumes of Hadith literature.  There are very few expert scholars in the world today who can conclusively state that a Hadith does not exist based on their extensive knowledge of almost every single Hadith in existence.  

Source : Saudi Gazette / 07 Jul 2014

The women’s section of Saudi Arabia's Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, known as the religious police, has prepared 300 women to supervise female gatherings in the Grand Mosque.

Source : Arab news / 02 Jul 2014

A Saudi charity organization aims to revive the Siqaya service, an old tradition that has become obsolete by time where pilgrims, guests and visitors of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah were offered water during the holy month of Ramadan as a gesture of good will by the natives.

Source : Arab news / 25 Jun 2014

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has almost completed elaborate and comprehensive arrangements for Qur’an recitation at Makkah’s Grand Mosque ahead of Ramadan. The Qur’an is now available in 72 different foreign languages.

Source : Arab News / 17 Jun 2014

The Haramain speed train project, which is in the final stages, will change the dynamics of pilgrim transportation between the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, said Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah.