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Luxury timeshares on offer at Islam's holiest pilgrimage site
Opponents say ZamZam moneyspinner makes mockery of spirit of hajjIt is the holiest site in Islam, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad and the place the world's Muslim population turns and prays to...
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A short break in Oman's Empty Quarter desert
Want to live out your Lawrence of Arabia fantasies but can only spare a couple of days off work? Tom Robbins travels to Oman for a weekend in the Empty Quarter - 250,000 square miles of nothing but...
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A new underwater kingdom
Saudi Arabia is a controversial holiday choice but for divers it offers some of the world's last virgin coral reefs, says James MontagueIf you were a travel agent, you'd probably find that Saudi Arabia...
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Warning over Hajj pilgrimage rip-offs
The government has warned British Muslims embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia this year to be on their guard against scams and rip-offs. Up to 50,000 Britons make the pilgrimage...
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Travel news in brief
Luxury in a caveUnique, atmospheric and oh-so-luxurious: we love the look of the new Sassi di Matera hotel in Matera, Basilicata, southern Italy. Housed within a warren of 2,000-year-old caves - which...
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Travel news in brief
Arabian nightsThe dramatic landscapes of the Middle East are a great playground for families. Camping out with the Bedouin, exploring ancient castles or riding across the desert on camels will keep...
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Once upon a life: Hilary Mantel
For four years, the Booker prize-winner lived in the repressive, claustrophobic kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Until one day in 1986 when she and her husband left Jeddah and rediscovered freedomAt five...
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Backpacking adventures: real stories
Whether you're thinking of a year out, need a career break or just an adventurous holiday, find inspiration with these extraordinary gap-year talesCycling to IndiaWhen I was 11, during a junior school...
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Mecca makeover: how the hajj has become big business for Saudi Arabia
• Country's religious tourism industry booming• New luxury hotels prove huge draw for pilgrimsThe arid landscape hugging the Jeddah-Mecca highway used to hold little appeal. But now travellers can...
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British Muslims join the pilgrims at a record-breaking hajj
Some 25,000 visitors from the UK join the millions pouring into Arafat to spend the day in prayerTucked away from the intensity of the crowds and traffic today, some of the 25,000 Britons who are...
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Riazat Butt | Divine dispatches: hajj special
Gold rush in Mecca; voice the Grand Mufti; environmental impacts; hajj fashionGreetings from Saudi Arabia, where this week's Divine Dispatches comes from. I'm sitting in a Ministry of Culture and...
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Is Saudi Arabia finally taking an interest in its own heritage? | Jason Burke
For years, the country has been erasing any evidence of its polytheistic, desert-dwelling past. But now, slowly, the tide may be starting to turnTell people in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, that you are...
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Sars-like virus detected
UK health agency issues advice as experts try to identify virus that infected two men in Middle East, killing oneHealth experts are trying to identify a new Sars-like virus that is so far known to have...
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Q&A: what is the Sars-like coronavirus – and how worried should we be?
Experts are trying to identify a virus that can cause severe respiratory problems and has killed at least one personHow many cases have been reported to date?Only two have been confirmed by laboratory...
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Mecca's mega architecture casts shadow over hajj
Towering over Mecca, this is the world's second-tallest building – and it is just a tiny part of a voracious development that has seen historic sites bulldozed and locals forced into shantytowns. As...
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Luxury timeshares on offer at Islam's holiest pilgrimage site
Opponents say ZamZam moneyspinner makes mockery of spirit of hajjIt is the holiest site in Islam, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad and the place the world's Muslim population turns and prays to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A short break in Oman's Empty Quarter desert
Want to live out your Lawrence of Arabia fantasies but can only spare a couple of days off work? Tom Robbins travels to Oman for a weekend in the Empty Quarter - 250,000 square miles of nothing but...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A new underwater kingdom
Saudi Arabia is a controversial holiday choice but for divers it offers some of the world's last virgin coral reefs, says James MontagueIf you were a travel agent, you'd probably find that Saudi Arabia...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Warning over Hajj pilgrimage rip-offs
The government has warned British Muslims embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia this year to be on their guard against scams and rip-offs. Up to 50,000 Britons make the pilgrimage...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Travel news in brief
Luxury in a caveUnique, atmospheric and oh-so-luxurious: we love the look of the new Sassi di Matera hotel in Matera, Basilicata, southern Italy. Housed within a warren of 2,000-year-old caves - which...
View Article