Guinness recognizes Saudi Arabia camel festival as largest in the world
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The festival included 11,186 camels, the largest number of camels in a race, and almost 800 races held between Aug. 11 until Saturday
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$14.3 million worth of prizes were handed out to participants from Saudi Arabia, other Gulf States and Arab countries
JEDDAH: The Crown Prince Camel Festival in Taif was named the largest in the world on Friday by Guinness World Records.
The festival included 11,186 camels, the largest number of camels in a race, and almost 800 races held between Aug. 11 until Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Musaed, President of the Saudi Federation of Camels, received the certificate from Guinness representative Ahmad Jamal Aldin.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was scheduled to attend the closing of the festival on Saturday.
During the event, $14.3 million worth of prizes were handed out to participants from Saudi Arabia, other Gulf States and Arab countries.
“The success of the festival was a great leap forward for the sport in its home country, among its fans and admirers,” SPA reported.
Courtesy: www.arabnews.com
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Only allegation-free individuals to handle Hajj pilgrims: Delhi High Court
New Delhi: In a recent ruling, the Delhi High Court stated that individuals with no allegations of deceit should be entrusted with the responsibility of handling pilgrims keeping in mind the sanctity of Hajj.
Justice Subramonium Prasad highlighted the provision in the Haj Policy, granting the Central Government authority to bar Hajj Group Organizers (HGOs) against whom complaints of misconduct have been lodged, particularly concerning their dealings with pilgrims.
The court's stance came in response to a plea filed by Al Islam Tour Corporation challenging the Centre's decision to blacklist it for ten years, starting from Hajj 2021. This decision followed a complaint from a Hajj pilgrim, accusing the corporation of defrauding him in 2013 by accepting Rs. 13 lakhs for pilgrimage expenses but failing to refund the money upon cancellation.
Dismissing the plea, the court noted that the petitioner wasn't registered as an HGO for Hajj 2018 and thus shouldn't have been involved in any Hajj-related activities without proper registration.
The court underscored the significance of the Hajj pilgrimage for many Indians, often being a once-in-a-lifetime journey for the less privileged who may spend their entire savings on it.
Furthermore, the court said that while the majority of Indian pilgrims obtain permission from the Hajj Committee, some experienced private tour operators are also authorised to facilitate the pilgrimage.
Considering the objectives of the Hajj Policy and the seriousness of the complaint against the petitioner, the court deemed the imposed penalty justified and saw no need for modification.
