Peep a Pic: Mountains on the way to Makkah

Mountains on the way to Makkah

Makkah is enclosed by the Valley of Ibraaheem (‘alaihis salaam), which is surrounded by two nearby mountain ranges to the east, west and south. The northern range comprises of Al-Falaq and Qu’aqi’an mountains, while the southern range consists of Abu Hudaidah mountain (to the west), Kuday (to the south), Abu Qubais and Khindimah (to the south-east). Makkah lies inland 73 kilometers east of Jeddah.

Source: Makkah Developments

Benefits of Delivery Services

One of the things that I adore about Saudi Arabia is the fact that you can get just about anything delivered, no matter how insignificant. My Saudi friend had French Cheese potato chips and Orange drink delivered to my door – can you believe that?!

I tolerate much nonsense and shenanigans when I go out, therefore, I am most grateful for these services. I no longer see certain practices and amenities as “extravagant,” I see them as blessings and barriers to trials that may occur upon exiting the home – especially if you are a woman.

The more I mingle with the Arabs, the more I understand their mentality and habits. My patience with things that I am not used to has increased. Don’t get me wrong, I will rant (because it has the effect of a tall glass of cold water on a hot summer’s day), but when it’s all over, I sit back and ponder the blessings of being here and the pros immensely outweigh the cons.

Some Benefits of Delivery Services:

• You do not have to prepare your brood for an outing
• No waiting in traffic jams
• No expensive smokey cab rides or taxi scams
  
• No car accidents or road rage
  
• No salesmen “accidentally” bumping into you three times in a row
  
• No kids crying to go home or asking “are we there yet?”
  
• No heat exhaustion
• No line jumping
• No pushy vendors
  
• I could go on and on….

Take advantage of these services. They help me keep my sanity…lol.

Haneefah

Question of the Day – How Big is Jeddah?

 

 

Jeddah.Gov.sa - Jeddah: A Saudi city located in the middle of the Eastern coast of the Red Sea known as the ‘Bride of the Red Sea.’Jeddah is considered the economic and tourism capital of the country. Its population is estimated around 3.4 million and it is the second largest city after Riyadh.

 

The foundation of the city of Jeddah is dated back to around 3000 years when groups of fishermen used to settle in after their fishing trips. After that, the tribe of Quda’ahcame to Jeddah 2500 years ago, settled and was known by it.

 

The historical transformation of Jeddah was in the era of the third Muslim Caliph ‘Uthman Bin Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) in 647 AD when he ordered the city to be transformed into a port to welcome pilgrims coming by sea for Pilgrimage in Makkah. To this day, Jeddah is the main passage for both sea and air pilgrims as well as those traveling by road.

Jeddah has grown during the last two decades, which made the city a center for money and business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a major and important port for exporting non-oil related goods as well as importing domestic needs.

See Jeddah.gov.sa for photos, news, directories, etc.

New System to Replace Sponsorship

Arab News: New System to Replace Sponsorship

The Ministry of Labor has completed a five-year study of the current sponsorship system. The plan behind the study is to replace the sponsorship of individual workers with a new system of private recruitment companies which will take care of the affairs of individual expatriate workers.

The Three Arabias

The Three Arabias referred to in the map’s title are Arabia Petraea, the northwestern area encompassing the Sinai Peninsula and Jordan, Arabia Deserta, the northernmost area just south of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and Arabia Felix, by far the largest territory covering most of the peninsula and extending from the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in the northwest to the coasts of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.

 

Full description…

Map of Ancient ‘Arabia

 

Source: World Digital Library