logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2021
13m 33s

Why some Saudis stop everything to volun...

The National Uae
About this episode

Every year in Saudi Arabia, as the time of the pilgrimage to Makkah nears, thousands of people from the city and around the country gather to volunteer for Hajj. Often these people will give up their daily lives and work to take time out to help those who visit the holy sites. As Muslims flock to the city to complete one of the essential requirements of their faith, a taskforce of thousands of Saudis is deployed to see to their needs. 

On this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Ayesha Khan looks at the Saudis who put their lives on hold to volunteer at Hajj.

Up next
Yesterday
What is the cost of ending the war in Gaza?
The toll of war is often measured in figures: the number of people killed, injured or displaced. But how do we calculate the cost of ending a war? In the case of Gaza, where Israel continues to pursue a 20-month military offensive, the sacrifices will be difficult to quantify. US ... Show More
23m 20s
Jul 4
Does the easing of US sanctions on Syria come with strings attached?
During a visit to the Gulf in May, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he would revoke sanctions on Syria. This week, he kept that promise. He signed an executive order on Monday to waive or review penalties, some of which have been in place for decades. T ... Show More
21m 58s
Jun 20
What happens to the Middle East if Tehran falls?
Up until last week, it seemed unthinkable for a UN member state to strike a nuclear site. But Israel did just that when it launched its attack on Iran, hitting military and atomic sites, and killing key figures of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It also seemed unthinkable ... Show More
24m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2024
حاجة مصرية تروي مشاهداتها عن ظروف الحج في السعودية
تُوفي ما لا يقل عن 922 حاجا من جنسيات مختلفة أثناء أداء فريضة الحج لهذا العام، معظمهم لأسباب مرتبطة بارتفاع درجة الحرارة، بحسب وكالة الأنباء الفرنسية فرانس برس. ونقلت الوكالة عن دبلوماسي عربي قوله إن عدد المصريين المتوفين وصل 658 على الأقل، بينهم 630 لا يحملون تصاريح للحج. بودكاس ... Show More
26m 36s
Jun 2024
BBC OS Conversations: Hajj pilgrims
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is something millions of people look forward to as an immensely spiritual experience. A main pillar of Islam, Muslims try to do it at least once in their lives, if they are physically and financially able. Saudi Arabia says 1.8 mil ... Show More
24m 32s
Apr 2023
Houthi and Saudi delegations meeting in Yemen for talks
Saudi Arabia has backed Yemeni government forces against the rebels during the eight-year civil war. We speak to Farea al-Muslimi, a Yemen-born research fellow at the Chatham House foreign-affairs think-tank, about the significance of the meeting. Also on the programme: a funeral ... Show More
47m 31s
Jun 2024
How do Hajj pilgrims cope with a heatwave in Saudi Arabia?
Hundreds of Muslim worshippers have reportedly died during Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Most of the deaths have been because of heat-related illnesses. Saudi Arabia has been hit by sweltering temperatures this year.  What measures are in place to help travellers m ... Show More
32m 41s
Jun 2018
Riding in cars without boys
This week, the Saudi government issued driver’s licenses to women for the first time in the country’s history. But London School of Economics professor Madawi al Rasheed says Saudi women are hardly even people under the law. She explains what life is like for women in Saudi Arabi ... Show More
21m 49s
Oct 2018
The State Sanctioned Murder of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Will Shake International Relations
 On October 2, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, seeking to retrieve some marriage documents relating to his upcoming wedding.  He never came out. Turkish authorities believe he was tortured and murdered by Saudi intelligence officers s ... Show More
29m 46s
Apr 2024
Can Saudi Money Whitewash a Murder?
In the final episode of this four-part series, Rog and Tommy trace the massive flow of Saudi money into Hollywood, Silicon Valley and Wall Street, and how the biggest venture capitalists and A-list celebrities seem to no longer care about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. They ... Show More
59m 51s