We arrived in Mecca near dawn last November, shortly before Fajr, the first prayer of the day.

In Mecca, a crush of Muslims can be seen circling the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, in the early morning. (Rubaina Azhar / Los Angeles Times)

Although the hajj pilgrimage was not yet officially underway, the crowds were so thick that we could not even enter the Grand Mosque.

So I made my first prayer in Mecca outside the Abraj al Bayt shopping mall in front of one of the mosque’s gates. Here I was at age 39 prostrate in Islam’s holiest city, in the shadow of the world’s largest clock and a Kentucky Fried Chicken.

For some time I had pressed my parents—both hajj veterans—to make the journey with me. I try to observe my faith. But it’s not always easy being a Muslim in America. A year ago, I was keenly feeling the hostility toward members of my religion.

A taxi driver in New York (the city of my birth) was repeatedly stabbed after he told a passenger he was a Muslim. An Islamic center planned near the site of the World Trade Center towers met with protest. A Florida pastor threatened to burn copies of Islam’s holiest book, the Koran.

My whole life I thought it must be easier to practice Islam in Saudi Arabia, the cradle of my religion. Now I was here, with my parents and my younger sister, to fulfill a once-in-a-lifetime requirement for all Muslims who can afford it.

Before us the throngs exiting the mosque made it impossible to enter. Electronic signs with red-slashed circles indicated no one else would be admitted for some time. We returned to our hotel to take showers and to eat. I was eager to perform my first umrah, a series of rituals that includes circling the Kaaba—the cube-shaped structure that sits in the center of the mosque—seven times. More info and photos

Future development in the Muslim sacred city of Mecca will be more in tune with traditional architecture, the mayor says, but for now residents worry that Islam’s holiest sites are disappearing behind skyscrapers.

Abraj Al-Bait Towers

The historic city, the birthplace of Islam, is studded with dozens of yellow and red cranes and metal scaffolding aimed at increasing hotel space and improving facilities to make the annual haj pilgrimage safer and easier.

As more than 2.5 million Muslims from across the world flood Mecca’s narrow streets for the annual pilgrimage, however, many visitors and residents point to a government-owned 600-metre tower surmounted by an extravagant clock as evidence development has moved too quickly.

“The building regulations in the city take into consideration the width of the streets, central locations and do not allow the building of skyscrapers…what was built was that,” Mayor Osama al-Bar told Reuters when asked about the tower.

Future projects “will be far from the grand mosque by 300 meters … The buildings will have reasonable heights between 8 to 10 floors and will have the Meccan style,” he said.

Within six years, the government hopes to reinforce the infrastructure surrounding Mecca’s Grand Mosque, home to the cube-shaped Kaaba towards which Muslims the world over turn in prayer, replacing congested narrow roads with new ones, installing foot bridges for pedestrians and a four-line metro. More info and photos

According to data by STR Global, hotels in the Saudi capital, Riyadh have seen strong occupancy growth in September with a 40% rise in occupancy rates, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (revPAR) in September compared to the same month in 2010, Saudi Gazette has reported.

Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residence

Riyadh also reported the only double-digit ADR increase in the Middle East and Africa region, rising 12.6% to $267.06.

The capital also reported a 58.2% jump in revPAR to $157.27, STR Global said.

You should always be prepared to dress in a formal and corporate manner when attending business meetings in Saudi Arabia, even though the weather may be extremely warm. In most buildings, however, there will be sufficient air-conditioning. Remember to greet those with whom you are meeting with a firm handshake using your right hand. Good eye contact whilst doing this is often seen as a sign of sincerity, and is also advised.

Make sure you have arranged your hotel accommodation before your visit, and are familiar with the routes which you will need to travel during your stay. While there are many restrictions with Saudi society, western hotels can offer a little more freedom. If you are keen to have somewhere that you can relax before and after your meetings by watching DVDs or playing online games of partypoker IT, then it is a good idea to ensure that your accommodation offers such facilities. Since face-to-face meetings tend be preferred within Arabic culture, you may be required to visit more than once, and you’ll soon get a good idea of any hotel preferences which you might have.

When scheduling your meetings, it is important to remember that there are five daily prayer times, as well as a number of Islamic holidays, which may have an impact on your meeting schedule. If you are offered the traditional drink of gahwa, then it is seem as impolite to refuse. If the taste is not to your palate, then simply sip it slowly. Business relationships are valued extremely highly within Saudi Arabia, but taking the time to build strong connections can be extremely beneficial to any business in the long-run.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has shut down 14 hotels and furnished apartments after inspectors found them in violation of the set standards, Saudi Gazette has reported.

The violations were detected after grace period was given to the owners of these housing units, SCTA said.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. – the global cruise line – announced a record year of business for the Middle East region in 2011.

The longest season to date will comprise of 18 roundtrip 7-night sailings and two Dubai and India 12-nights sailings.

From January through September 2011 bookings from the region for Royal Caribbean Cruises’ three global brands – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises – have increased significantly with guest volume rising by 34% compared to the same period last year. More info

Saudi-based KAS Investment firm has soft launched its $25m Le Dix hotel in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

The hotel offers four exclusive types of suites – Royal Penthouse Suite (duplex), Royal Suite, Presidential Suite and Ambassador Suite, offering 10 sea view suites, each spread out on a separate floor, according to Abdulkader Hankir, chief operating officer of KAS Investment – hospitality division.

JEDDAH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities has temporarily closed 36 hotels and furnished apartments in Makkah and Jeddah for not fulfilling its conditions.

Saudi Arabia Hotels

The SCTA has warned owners of about 40 other hospitality institutions that they would face closure if they did not correct their situation before the deadline.
Last week, the commission closed 14 furnished apartments in Riyadh and gave final warning to three hotels.

The institutions were closed as they were operating without licenses and were not fulfilling other SCTA conditions aimed at improving their service standards.

Muhammad Al-Amri, executive director for tourism development in the Makkah province, said the SCTA closed the institutions out of its desire to ensure quality of the Kingdom’s hospitality sector.
He urged investors in the sector to ensure the quality of their institutions and follow the standards and specifications set by the commission.

“Investors in the hospitality sector play an important role in promoting tourism,” he said.

DAMMAM: The city will be getting a new SR260 million, 240-room hotel along its Corniche through an agreement between the Riyadh-based SHUAA Saudi Hospitality Fund and Abdulla Fouad Holding Co., the financial institution announced.

SHUAA Capital CEO Omar Al-Jaroudi, 3rd right, Abdulla Fouad Holding Co. Chairman Abdulla Fouad, 3rd left, and other executives pose for a group picture after the signing ceremony in Dammam. (AN photo)

The Rayhaan by Rotana Hotel will be located on the Al-Ashra Roundabout and offer unobstructed views of the Arabian Gulf as well as easy access to highways linking Dammam to King Fahd International Airport, Jubail, Alkhobar and Dhahran.

This transaction marks the third hospitality project announced by the fund in Saudi Arabia. The fund already initiated development of two other hotels in Jeddah, also to be managed by Rotana, including a 5-star Rayhaan Hotel on the northern Corniche and a 4-star budget business hotel on Madinah Road.

“This agreement represents another important milestone for the fund and brings us closer to achieving our goal of developing eight hotel properties in the Kingdom,” said Omar Al-Jaroudi, SHUAA Capital Saudi Arabia CEO. “Over the coming months, we will unveil additional projects the fund has in the pipeline.”

“Rotana’s market expansion into the Kingdom is progressing as planned, and we would like to thank the SHUAA team for their professional approach to implementing the property development strategies,” said Rotana president and CEO Selim El Zyr. “This project will allow us to better serve business and leisure travelers as well as the community of the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.”

Dammam is a leading business hub in the Eastern Province, which has a growing population of more than 3.7 million inhabitants. It is the center of the Kingdom’s oil and petrochemical industries.

SHUAA Capital Saudi Arabia is a subsidiary of Dubai-based SHUAA Capital It is a closed joint-stock company with a paid-up capital of SR150 million. SCSA was established to promote investment opportunities within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East and North Africa regions.

JEDDAH: Abdul Latif Jameel Real Estate Investment Company has announced its intention to create a Saudi-cultured hotel brand which will open its first property in the second half of 2011.

Egyptian national Mahmoud Mokhtar has been appointed as chief operating officer for the hotel division, which is so new it does not even have a name yet, and he will drive the company’s growth aspirations within Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region.

Mokhtar foresees promising growth opportunities for the company in the Kingdom over the next two years and further expansion and growth in the Middle East region in a five-year span. His first job will be to build a Saudi-originating hotel brand and culture.

“The company’s strategy for the hotel division is aimed at introducing to the world a new concept of hotel management based on genuine Saudi professional hospitality,” he said. “We aim to build our presence in the kingdom first and my role will be to ensure that this is achieved based on a solid strategy, a relevant brand and strong presence. This will nurture the Saudi culture, promote the Saudi dream and create new job opportunities in the kingdom as well as contributing to the wellbeing of the community.

“We have a number of openings lined up for the next two years, phase one will open during the second half of 2011, with a 1,778-room four-star hotel in Makkah. The hotel will be our flagship, owned and managed by the company.

There are also three upcoming projects with a total of 9,000 hotel rooms in Makkah, based on a mid-market, full-service hotel concept, with food courts and residential apartments.”
Mokhtar has 23 highly distinguished years of Middle Eastern and International hotel experience with multinational hotel chains, including stints in the US and the UAE as well as a variety of locations within Egypt.

He was most recently vice president for Egypt, Lebanon and North Africa for an international hotel chain based in Cairo.

The Kingdom is investing heavily to the tune of SR1,496 billion to upgrade its infrastructure over 5 year period until 2013, recent reports said.

The region is placing top most priority on infrastructure development across industries such as power, transportation, education, retail, real estate and oil and gas among others.