They have made strenuous efforts to disseminate the message of Islam among non-Muslims working in the country and elsewhere by setting up Islamic centers, distributing copies of the Qur’an as well as other Islamic literature and by financing various Islamic projects.

Being the first and leading English language newspaper published in the heartland of Islam, Arab News has given utmost importance to spreading the message of Islam, especially among the country’s large number of expatriates. Several years ago, it introduced a page entitled “Islam in Perspective” edited by Adil Salahi. The page, which is the brainchild of Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena, is extremely popular among expatriates. It is now published on Fridays. On the pages, Salahi discusses the basic teachings of Islam in a plain and lucid style; he also answers readers’ questions on a range of issues.

Arab News’ coverage of annual Haj events has won applause from Muslims all over the world. Ever since its launch in April 1975, the paper has published detailed reports concerning the annual pilgrimage, which is the largest gathering of Muslims in the world. Many media organizations and news agencies around the world have depended on Arab News and its staff in order to get news about the Haj and its events. Over the years, the paper’s coverage of Haj has improved significantly because of innovative ideas coming from such reporters as Siraj Wahab and Badea Abu Al-Naja. Somayya Jabarti (who is now Arab News managing editor) and Hassna’a Mokhtar were the first Arab News female reporters to report on the event, giving a new depth to the paper’s Haj coverage.

The impressive expansion of the two holy mosques during the reign of King Fahd, the largest expansion in Islamic history, is one of Saudi Arabia’s major achievements and a remarkable contribution to the Islamic world. Arab News has published details of these expansion works since King Fahd launched the project in 1982. There were many difficulties to be overcome. The work had to be carried out with minimum disruption to the movement of pilgrims and the normal life of Makkah. The area designated for the expansion contained normal urban utilities — water, electricity and telephone services — which had to be relocated without interrupting supplies, disrupting commercial activities or impeding the movement of pilgrims. The extension of the Holy Mosque had to be joined to existing structures in such a way that they were undamaged and the old and new structures could merge seamlessly with each other.

According to a report carried by Arab News, the new expansion project meant that the capacity of the Grand Mosque became more than a million during the peak seasons of Ramadan, Umrah and Haj. The expansion project included over 60,000 square meters of prayer area on the enlarged roof, in addition to 86,000 square meters in the surrounding plaza. Two towering minarets were added to complement the seven existing whitened stone structures, the latest additions carefully matching the former in architectural style. An air-conditioning system was installed to cool the new extension. Located in a six-story structure some distance away, the system has more than one hundred chiller units.

King Fahd was also responsible for the largest expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. As in Makkah’s Haram Mosque, extra prayer space was created by adding extensions to the roof area. This work was undertaken in such a way that the structure is strong enough to accommodate another floor if it were necessary in the future. Two main courts of the mosque have been furnished with 12 immense umbrellas made of Teflon. Each of these ingenious devices can be opened and shut mechanically so as to protect worshippers from the heat of the sun. The overall work undertaken on the Prophet’s Mosque was thus predictably breathtaking.

To further improve both Haj services and pilgrims’ facilities, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah ordered additional expansions to the Grand Mosque. Described as the largest in Muslim history, the project will create additional prayer space for nearly a million worshippers. More than 1,000 properties in the areas of Shamiya and Shubaika have been demolished in order to make room for the expansion. Masaa, the area between Safa and Marwa, which is located inside the mosque has been expanded to help pilgrims perform the sa’ie ritual more easily and comfortably. King Abdullah allocated SR10 billion for the new projects at the Grand Mosque and the holy sites. He also ordered another expansion at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah at a cost of more than SR4 billion. It includes the installation of 182 sunshades in courtyards around the mosque for the benefit of 200,000 worshippers. The mosque’s eastern courtyard has been expanded, creating additional prayer place for 70,000 worshippers. With the completion of the new expansion project, all residential areas of old Madinah will become part the mosque complex. As part of the government’s efforts in the service of pilgrims, several projects have been carried out in Makkah and also at the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa.

The symbolic stoning of Satan at Jamrat is no longer a nightmarish task for pilgrims. The construction of a four-story high-tech bridge in the area and the expansion of its surroundings have made things much easier for them.