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Full moon to align directly above Kaaba in Mecca on Jan. 28

The full moon will align directly above the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca on Thursday, January 28, according to astronomers.
The rare celestial phenomenon will take place on Thursday at 12:43 am local time when the people of Mecca will be able to see with naked eyes the full moon appearing vertically above the Grand Mosque."The moon will rise with sunset from the northern/northeastern horizon, and set in the northern/northwestern horizon, which means that it will simulate the high path of the summer sun after six months across the night sky, but in the north of the Arctic Circle, the moon stays 24 hours above the horizon, like the midnight sun in the summer," Majed Abu Zahira, president of the Jeddah Astronomy Association, said in an interview with Al Arabiya.

According to Abu Zahra, the full moon will align with the Kaaba at 12:43:34 after midnight local KSA time (09:43:34 pm GMT) at an altitude of 89.57.46 degrees and its disk fully illuminated by 99.9 percent at a distance of 381.125 km from the earth.
“The moon will remain visible in the sky for the rest of the night until it sets with the rise of the Friday sun,” he added.
He added that celestial phenomenon can be used to find the direction of the Qiblah (direction toward the Kaaba) in a simple way from several regions around the world, as Muslims in geographical locations far from the Grand Mosque can rely on the direction of the moon that points to Mecca “in a manner comparable to the accuracy of smart phone applications.”
source: Ismaeel Naar
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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