Maximum technology utilized by Saudi authorities to ensure safety of pilgrims

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In the 2019 Hajj season, the Ministry of Health introduced a robot that remotely provided consultations and checks with the use of artificial intelligence. (SPA)
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Updated 21 July 2021
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Maximum technology utilized by Saudi authorities to ensure safety of pilgrims

  • Hajis at holy sites have direct access to smart card service, smart bracelets, and smart robots to ‘enrich their experience’

MAKKAH/JEDDAH: To ensure safety during the Hajj season and to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Saudi authorities are utilizing technology to help pilgrims perform their rituals in peace and comfort.

The yearly pilgrimage to Makkah is considered the world’s largest human gathering, with almost 2.5 million pilgrims in 2019. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Hajj is restricted to 60,000 pilgrims, all coming from within the Kingdom.  
When Saudi pilgrims arrived, they had direct access to smart cards, smart bracelets, and a smart robot service — all intended to make Hajj a more convenient experience.
The features of the smart cards, introduced by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, include near-field communication (NFC) and barcodes that will hold personal, medical, and residence information. They will also guide pilgrims to their residences in the holy sites.
According to Hamad Al-Eshiwan, director of the media center at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the smart cards were manufactured locally and were given to this year’s pilgrims and will be available for Umrah performers in the future.
“We will be also providing this technology to other international Hajj companies for future Hajj and Umrah clients,” he said.
Al-Eshiwan also said each card is color-coded as the different colors link the cardholders to their respective housing at the holy sites. They also allow access to smart doors and entrances to campsites in the holy sites.
In addition to pilgrims’ vital information, the cards also allow the pilgrims to check their pre-planned journey routes and schedules for Hajj. Through these cards, pilgrims can choose their daily meals, which will help avoid crowded places.




Built locally, smart cards are color-coded as the different colors link the cardholders to their respective housing at the holy sites. (SPA)

Explaining the need for these cards, Amr Al-Maddah, deputy minister for Hajj and Umrah Services, said the smart cards were launched to put the pilgrims’ safety and convenience as top priorities and to “enrich their experience.”
He added that pilgrims can fill out a service evaluation questionnaire of their experiences as their feedback will help improve services and meet pilgrims’ highest expectations.
The smart cards can also be linked and read through the “Sha’ir” application, which will also assist authorities in providing any requested service.
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) launched its smart bracelet service in cooperation with the Guests of God Service Program, in partnership with the Saudi Telecom Company Group (STC).
Some 5,000 bracelets were distributed among this year’s pilgrims as the bracelet, which comes in the form of a wristwatch, is equipped with GPS and uses the data for Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
The bracelet provides integrated services that include all personal data of a pilgrim, including his or her health status related to COVID-19.




Fully automatic robots have been deployed to sanitize Makkah’s Grand Mosque and keep it free from bacteria in the wake of the pandemic. (SPA)

Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, SDAIA president, described the initiative as an important step to serve the pilgrims.
“Pilgrims wearing these bracelets can check their heartbeats and oxygen level,” Al-Ghamdi said. “They can also review their health status as these bracelets are connected with the Tawakkalna app.” Pilgrims with bracelets can report a security issue or seek assistance from their control center, which includes representatives from various health, security, and Hajj authorities.
“This center monitors everything happening to the pilgrims, whether it is a security or health issue, or even an accident,” Al-Ghamdi said. “These bracelets can also help authorities take action when needed.”
The General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque launched its smart robot service last month as 10 robots joined the Grand Mosque’s disinfection team.
To help thwart the spread of COVID-19, the robots are helping in the Grand Mosque’s disinfection routine. The robots are equipped with a special program to analyze the disinfection requirements of assigned areas. They can operate between five and eight hours without human intervention.
In the 2019 Hajj season, the Ministry of Health introduced the first Hajj robot that remotely provided medical consultations and checks with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
AI assistant professor at Umm Al-Qura University, Tahani Al-Subait, told Arab News that a physician in Riyadh, for instance, can provide medical assistance through a robot to a patient in the holy sites. “The physician can remotely monitor the robot and give it an order to take the patient’s temperature and check their pulse with a stethoscope,” she said.


Nonprofits central to developing education, realizing Vision 2030 goals — Al-Benyan

Updated 03 July 2025
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Nonprofits central to developing education, realizing Vision 2030 goals — Al-Benyan

  • Ministry has taken serious steps toward ‘humanizing’ schools and improving educational environment, says Saudi education minister
  • Riyadh hosts 2nd nonprofit education, training forum

RIYADH: Serious steps have been taken towards “humanizing” schools and improving the educational environment, helping raise the quality of learning, Saudi Arabia Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan has said.

The minister was speaking during “Promising Opportunities and Future Foresight for the Nonprofit Sector,” the main session of the second Nonprofit Sector Forum in Education and Training taking place in Riyadh.

The two-day event, hosted by the Ministry of Education, ended on Wednesday. Taking the theme “Qualitative Partnerships and Sustainable Solutions,” it was attended by government officials and stakeholders in education and training, as well as non-profit sector representatives.

The minister said that the school environment accounted for roughly one-third of the factors influencing educational outcomes, alongside curricula and teachers.

“We have begun improving the humanization of schools and are working to leverage the ministry’s programs to support the educational environment within an integrated vision that seeks to provide a healthy and stimulating environment within schools,” he said.

He added that the non-profit sector was a key partner, alongside the public and private sectors, in developing education and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. 

The ministry was working to develop teachers through capacity-building programs and ensure the quality of outcomes, said Al-Benyan, highlighting the establishment of a national center for curriculum development for the first time, in partnership with experts and specialized institutions. 

He also talked about the launch of initiatives to improve the educational environment and create attractive and stimulating school facilities, in addition to strengthening governance and accountability to ensure the sustainability of impact and measure returns.

The ministry established the Tatweer foundation to support the needs of teachers and last year signed 18 agreements encompassing more than 2,400 programs. It also implemented initiatives worth more than SR400 million through the Ehsan platform and contributed to providing more than 2,700 scholarships in cooperation with the Martyrs, Missing Persons and Prisoners Fund.

Cabinet decisions have enabled the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, to allocate buildings and sites to non-profit schools using new methods that help expand the scope of support and providing sustainable resources. 

The minister emphasized the importance of programs such as vocational training for teachers through the National Institute for Teacher Development and the National Curriculum Center to enhance the quality of education and promote community partnerships.

The forum also featured a “Volunteer Hour” in which several education, training and non-profit sector officials took part.

Other sessions included “Building Human Capacity in the Non-Profit Sector: Programs and Initiatives,” which discussed linking training programs to the labor market and the role of employers in identifying them.

“Empowerment Across Sectors: Enhancing the Effectiveness of Non-Profit Training” addressed mechanisms for improving the quality of non-profit training and the potential of the national skills system, while “Early Childhood in the Nonprofit Sector: Empowerment Opportunities and Impact Models” reviewed opportunities for expansion and excellence in nonprofit kindergartens. “The Nonprofit Sector and Programs for People with Disabilities” focused on the reality and expectations of nonprofit organizations in programs for people with disabilities.

The first day of the forum featured three specialized workshops addressing services provided by the National Center for Strategic Partnerships to empower nonprofit entities, while around 50 exhibitors the "Generation Alpha: Research Insights for Understanding the Next Generation and Formulating Inspiring Educational Programs" workshop by Ithra Center, and the "Empowering Nonprofit Kindergartens: Practical Steps" workshop.

About 50 exhibitors presented the opportunities they offer for collaboration in the education sector.


Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

Updated 03 July 2025
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Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

  • Evidence of Stone Age settlements in the region
  • Has Tapline, Kingdom’s first industrial heritage site

TURAIF: Located in Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region, Turaif governorate stands as a crossroads of ancient civilizations and a gateway to Iraq and the Levant.

The governorate is home to a range of rich cultural and heritage sites, many of which date back to pre-Islamic times.

Heritage Commission sign board at the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, located 40 kilometers southwest of Turaif governorate. (SPA)

Among the most prominent heritage landmarks is the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, situated 40 km southwest of the governorate.

Adjacent to it lies a mountain known as Aqran, also referred to as Duqrah Mount, which has been recorded under the Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Program.

Zahi Al-Khalawi, a member of the Saudi Historical Society, said the site is among the Kingdom’s most significant archaeological locations because there is evidence of human settlements dating to the Stone Age.

He said habitation at the site continued through the later Roman period (2 to 6 centuries C.E.) and persisted into the Umayyad era (661 to 750 C.E.).

Another landmark is the Trans-Arabian Pipeline, or Tapline, one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant industrial heritage sites.

The pipeline stretches from the east of the Kingdom to its north, passing through Turaif, and has been registered in the National Industrial Heritage Register.

Known as the Tapline, this oil pipeline stretches from eastern Saudi Arabia to the northwest, passing through Turaif. (SPA)

It is the first documented industrial heritage site in the Kingdom, representing the early stages of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and its developmental and economic significance.

Also noteworthy is the culturally significant site of Qaru Turaif, a water source developed by the Tapline Co. in the 1950s to help settle nomadic communities by order of the late King Abdulaziz.

To the east of Turaif, about 25 km away, stands Jabal Umm Waal, a historic landmark and northern gateway into the Arabian Peninsula.

The mountain tells the stories of Bedouin life and the passage of trade caravans and pilgrims traveling from the Levant and Iraq. For centuries, it served as a safe route for travelers making their way southward.

 


Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

  • Kingdom’s foreign ministry said the move would violate international laws

RIYADH: A government minister’s threat for Israel to apply full sovereignty over the occupied West Bank was strongly condemned by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom “condemned and denunciated” the statement made by the Israeli official calling for the imposition of sovereignty over the Palestinian territory.

Such action would be a violation of international law, the statement said. Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to expand settlements on Palestinian land, the ministry added, while reiterating the Kingdom’s position on the importance of Israel abiding by international resolutions.

The statement followed comments from Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin saying “the time has come” for Israel to apply sovereignty across the West Bank.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 and has built dozens of settlements, deemed illegal under international law, across the territory.

The Saudi foreign ministry offered its support for the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate rights and in establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

 


Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce has announced the recall of 88,518 Anker portable chargers across multiple models due to a potential internal electrical short circuit that may cause overheating and pose a fire risk.

The ministry urged consumers to immediately stop using the affected products and contact Anker at the toll-free number 8008500030 to arrange a replacement or full refund, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Consumers can check if their device is included in the recall and start the replacement or refund process by visiting anker.com/mmrc2506.

Users are also advised to verify the model number of their charger against the list of affected products on the Defective Products Recall Center website ecalls.sa.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to consumer safety and stressed the importance of promptly addressing product defects to prevent potential hazards.


GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Updated 02 July 2025
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GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi participated in the 39th Meeting of the Directors-General of Passports of the GCC countries, held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.

During the meeting, he reviewed the latest developments, including the Gulf visa project.

The passport departments of the interior ministries of GCC countries, through a series of joint meetings, are making efforts to launch a unified tourist visa project in the near future, the General Secretariat said in a report.

“Everyone is working as one team to keep pace with technological developments and security requirements in a world characterised by rapid change,” Albudaiwi said.