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Ismaeel Naar
Ismaeel Naar

Ismaeel Naar is a former Senior Journalist with Al Arabiya English. His reporting usually covers geopolitics and security in the Middle East and North Africa, with a special focus on the GCC. In December 2016, Ismaeel won the Young Arab Award for Outstanding Journalism. He  holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Middle Eastern studies from Northwestern University. Follow him on Twitter at @ismaeelrn

On the plains of Arafat, pilgrims have just one wish: Unity

Nothing prepared me for the sights of a million people congregating at Jabal Rahma on the day of Arafat.Covering the Hajj for the past five years as a newsroom journalist, this is my first time...

 For the elderly, Hajj a dual pilgrimage of life and death

Mecca, Saudi Arabia – Most pilgrims say they wait a lifetime before getting the chance to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. For Indonesia’s Maria Marghani Mohammed, the wait lasted 104 years....

 Hajj in real time: Follow live updates from Mecca

It is Hajj season again and time for nearly two million Muslims to descend on Islam's holiest site: Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Hajj pilgrimage is one of Islam’s five pillars, which all Muslims...

 All you need to know about Hajj: Steps, rituals and significance

The Hajj ritual can be traced back to the time of the Prophet Abraham by Muslims. It is a religious obligation for all able-bodied Muslims who can afford it at least once in their lifetime. Hajj is...

 King Salman ensures 104-year-old Indonesian pilgrim receives necessary care

Mecca, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia's King Salman ensured that the 104-year-old Indonesian pilgrim, Maria Marghani Mohammed received the maximum care during Hajj along with her companions. Maria ...

 Saudi deploys 100,000 security forces to Mecca ahead of Hajj

At the headquarters of Saudi Arabia’s General Security forces in Mina, the press conference confirmed that nearly 1.72 mln pilgrims have been confirmed to have flown into the kingdom over the...

 Muslim who shielded Filipino Christians in ISIS-held Marawi says he’s no hero

Although media outlets in the Philippines and abroad have called him a Muslim hero, Norodin Lucman says there is nothing heroic about his act of saving at least 64 Christians from ISIS militants in...

 Is the Middle East ready for its own version of bitcoin?

For the uninitiated, blockchain technology can be confusing. This must have been quite evident for anyone who first started reading about the rise of Bitcoin during the past several years.Known as the...