Saudi Arabia tests ‘nap pods’ for haj
Apps for on-the-spot translation, medical care also introduced
Macca, Aug. 18: Mansour al-Amer swipes a card to reveal a narrow sleep pod, reminiscent of Japan’s famed capsule hotels. But this pod is in Saudi Arabia, where the Muslim haj pilgrimage begins from Sunday.
The kingdom has plans to introduce capsule rooms in the western city of Mina in the coming days, as an estimated two million Muslim faithful gather for the six-day haj, one of the five pillars of Islam.
The free nap pods are part of new measures Saudi Arabia is rolling out this year in a bid to modernise the centuries-old practice of haj. The government has also introduced apps for on-the-spot translation and emergency medical care.
Amer is the head of a Saudi charity, the Haji and Mutamer Gift Charitable Association, which is offering between 18 and 24 capsule for pilgrims to nap in for free in the coming days. Each fibreglass pod — less than three-metres long and just over one metre high — features a mattress, clean sheets, air conditioning and a large, well-lit mirror. The pods can be lined up horizontally or stacked vertically to save on space.
“We are always thinking about pilgrims and how to make them more comfortable during the rituals of haj,” Amer said.
The nap pods provide a solution for pilgrims of limited means who cannot afford to book hotels on site but need a quick rest during hajj. Each napper will have three hours of access to the pods, which are imported from Japan at cost of around $1,114 (1,000 euros) each. — AFP