Saudi king invites world’s oldest pilgrim from Indonesia
Saudi Arabia’s efforts to serve pilgrims have received the appreciation and respect of Muslims from around the world
Saudi Arabia’s efforts to serve pilgrims has received the appreciation and respect of Muslims from around the world.
The country has received 95,853,170 pilgrims over the past fity years, with numbers exceeding two million during the last two Hajj seasons.
In this report, WAM highlights Saudi Arabia’s efforts to make the Hajj season succeed, and its readiness to serve pilgrims by launching a comprehensive plan, along with 140 related initiatives.
King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and King of Saudi Arabia, instructed all Saudi authorities to provide the best services to pilgrims, and the country has began receiving pilgrims through land, sea and air ports, and is providing comprehensive services.
King Salman is hosting the Indonesian pilgrim, Ohi Aidros Samari, who is 130 years old, and his six family members while they perform their Hajj pilgrimage this season.
Pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia during this Hajj season will number 1,405,645, according to statistics from the Monitoring, Control and Measurement Centre of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
The Civil Defence completed its preparations to serve pilgrims, in coordination with government authorities, while the Air Security General Command also began implementing its plan.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Da’wah and Guidance, represented by the General Secretariat of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Hajj and Umrah Programme, provided hundreds of modern buses equipped with interactive screens, to guide pilgrims in their languages.
Saudi Arabia has also launched a series of advanced smart applications to serve pilgrims, as part of its efforts to provide them with best services and facilitate their travel during the Hajj season.
One of the smart initiatives being implemented is the “E-path Project” for international pilgrims, which enables organisers to explore services provided to pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah, as well as keep track of their movement and accommodation details through bracelets that store data on the pilgrims, such as their visa details, tour packages, and dates of arrival and departure.
Saudi Arabia launched its fith generation service in Makkah and other holy places, by introducing 37 stations around the central region. It also launched the second phase of the Hajj Smart Initiative, which aims to provide innovative digital and awareness services for pilgrims.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced its preparations and programmes for this year’s Hajj season, including its new network and technical system, that can serve the many pilgrims expected to visit the holy sites.
The General Authority for Meteorology and Environment Protection also issued an e-guide for pilgrims in Arabic, English, French and Urdu.
The first pilgrimage tour began on the rapid train from Madina, transporting 170 pilgrims to Makkah.
Saudi Arabia also directed all hospitals and health centres to be ready to provide the best services to pilgrims, and the Ministry of Health prepared six airfields in Makkah and other holy sites for the rapid evacuation of patients.
Last year, the country launched the “Smart Hajj Initiative,” which was designed by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology to serve pilgrims and help them perform the Hajj. This year, it launched a 5G service in Makkah as part of the initiative to enhance pilgrims’ digital experience during the Hajj season.
In light of the success of the initiative, which benefited 250,000 pilgrims last year, the second phase of the smart Hajj plan kicked off last month with a voluntary training platform to train individuals working to assist pilgrims during the Hajj season, as well as a virtual platform to train male and female pilgrims on their Hajj rites, along with various other smart phone applications to assist pilgrims during their spiritual journey.