At least 39 Muslims have died since the beginning of this year’s Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, local media reported Saturday. Most of the victims, a total of 16, came to Mecca from Egypt and Algeria, the Okaz newspaper reported, citing the Saudi General Authority for Statistics. All of the deceased pilgrims were elderly people, who died of “natural causes,... 

As part of a diversification strategy, Saudi Arabia is to broaden pilgrimage services to reduce its dependence on falling oil revenue, reported the Saudi Gazette newspaper. The pilgrimage industry is the country’s second most important after oil and gas. Nearly two million foreign pilgrims visit the holy city of Mecca annually during Hajj. The figure is expected to reach 2.7 million by 2020. National... 

At least 453 people have been killed and nearly 720 others injured in a crush during Hajj pilgrimage rituals outside Mecca. According to Saudi disaster officials, the incident occurred in Mina, near Mecca, at 9 am local time (0600 GMT) after two large masses of pilgrims coming down streets 204 and 223 fused together. The incident took place as people were heading to participate in the symbolic stoning... 

At least 87 people died and 201 more were injured when a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque of Mecca ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, the Saudi Interior Ministry said on Friday. The Kingdom’s General Directorate of Civil Defense blamed the accident on severe storms, according to its official Twitter. The governor of the Makkah region, the capital of which is Mecca, Khalid al-Faisal has ordered... 

The new killer virus in the Middle East, novel coronavirus, aka Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is deadly, there is no cure, its transmission mechanisms are hazy, though there have been cases of human to human transmission, yet the WHO imposes no travel restrictions in the run-up to the Hajj. Some questions to be answered… How interesting. Is the World Health Organization... 

Celebrating the muslim festival Eid al-Adha in Moscow The four-day Eid al-Adha religious festival is underway, with millions of Muslims traveling around the world to visit family and loved ones. The holiday is also widely celebrated across Russia. Known as Kurban Bairam in Russia, the festival marks the end of Hajj, the annual Mecca pilgrimage, and commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice...