Millions have made the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The kingdom faces scrutiny over safety after more than 1,300 people died last year.
Tag: Medina (Saudi Arabia)
Rumbling Through Modern Jordan, a Railway From the Past
Once an ambitious project to unite the Middle East, the antique Hejaz Railway is a relic of that bygone dream before wars, borders and more advanced modes of transport rendered its services obsolete.
Saudi Arabia Drastically Limits Hajj Pilgrimage to Prevent Viral Spread
Saudi Arabia said only “very limited numbers” of pilgrims could perform the hajj this year, with only Saudis and foreign nationals already in the kingdom allowed to take part.
As Ramadan Begins, Muslims (Mostly) Accede to Pandemic Orders
Islam’s most sacred sites were largely deserted as the holy month started, but Muslims in some places were resisting in ways that could spread the coronavirus.
As Ramadan Begins, Muslims (Mostly) Accede to Pandemic Orders
Islam’s most sacred sites were largely deserted as the holy month started, but Muslims in some places were resisting in ways that could spread the coronavirus.
Saudi Law Granted Women New Freedoms. Their Families Don’t Always Agree.
Women in the conservative kingdom are finding they have to negotiate with their relatives newly granted permissions to work, drive and travel.
Saudi Society Is Changing. Just Take a Look at These Coffeehouses.
As the government relaxes restrictions on men and women working and socializing together, coffeehouses are on the front lines of change.
Times Insider: How Our Former Beijing Bureau Chief Found Himself on a Bullet Train in Saudi Arabia
There was a certain dissonance in the fact that the ruling Communist Party of China, officially atheist and repressive toward the country’s Muslims, had helped build a railway connecting the holiest sites in Islam.