Saudi Arabia is leveraging smart technologies and AI-driven platforms to serve nearly two million Muslim pilgrims during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. Among the innovations is Manarah 2, an AI robot offering assistance in over 20 languages at key locations.
Pilgrims benefit from Nusuk cards that facilitate appointments to visit the Holy Rawdah and provide contact and accommodation details to reduce lost persons. The Makkah Bus Guidance Centre, integrated with Nusuk and Arshidni smart platforms, ensures safe and efficient transportation to accommodations.
Health app Tawakkalna monitors pilgrims’ health and connects them to medical services. The Smart Enrichment Assistant app offers multilingual information on prayer times, imam schedules, and religious classes.
Additional initiatives include the Makkah Route Initiative to streamline travel procedures, luggage coding and sorting systems at airports, and mobile Quran apps to enhance spiritual engagement.
More than 1.2 million pilgrims have arrived, with Hajj set to begin next week. This pilgrimage remains a fundamental pillar of Islamic faith, obligatory for financially able Muslims once in their lifetime.
