BBC OS Conversations: Hajj pilgrims

In Christopher Nolan’s 2010 blockbuster Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio’s protagonist is paid to implant an idea into a target’s subconscious. If you look the film up, its genre is listed as being ‘science fiction’ - but could that soon have to be revised? Dream engineering is an ex ...  Show more

Jason Gilkison has for the past 10 years been the creative force behind the UK's top rating TV show, Strictly Come Dancing, better known around the world as Dancing with the Stars. Jason is an eight-time World Choreographer nominee who has become internationally renowned for his ...  Show more

Every year in Saudi Arabia, as the time of the pilgrimage to Makkah nears, thousands of people from the city and around the country gather to volunteer for Hajj. Often these people will give up their daily lives and work to take time out to help those who visit the holy sites. ...

Hundreds of Muslim worshippers have reportedly died during Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Most of the deaths have been because of heat-related illnesses. Saudi Arabia has been hit by sweltering temperatures this year.  What measures are in place to help travellers m ...  Show more

On November 20th, 1979, a group of Islamic militants seized Islam's holiest site — the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. They took thousands of hostages and held the holy site for two weeks, shocking the Islamic world. This week, how one man led an uprising that would have ...  Show more

The UK's ties with Saudi Arabia have come under growing strain in recent months over how to balance human rights concerns with the government's desire to promote a crucial trade and investment relationship. The Arab state sits on more than a quarter of the world's known oil reser ...  Show more