How AI tech innovation has elevated the Hajj 2025 pilgrimage experience
RIYADH: As the annual Hajj pilgrimage draws millions of Muslims to Makkah in 2025, Saudi Arabia is using a powerful suite of artificial intelligence tools to ensure that this sacred journey is safer, smoother, and more spiritually enriching than ever before.
In a remarkable blend of ancient ritual and modern innovation, the Kingdom is harnessing AI, biometric technologies, and digital services to overcome the logistical challenges of hosting one of the world's largest religious gatherings — from crowd control to heat management — all while preserving the sanctity of the experience.
'Saudi Arabia carries an immense responsibility in hosting millions of pilgrims,' Hatem Mandeel, managing director and co-founder of the digital transformation consultancy Tyde AI, told Arab News. 'It continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to this role through innovative approaches to event management and safety.'
At the heart of this transformation is Vision 2030, the Kingdom's national roadmap for economic diversification and digital growth. This year's Hajj reflects those ambitions in action, with technologies being used to streamline everything from spiritual guidance to crowd movement.
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Among the most notable are two new tools — the Smart Enrichment Assistant and the Digital Mutawwif.
Developed by the Agency for Religious Affairs at the Prophet's Mosque, the Smart Enrichment Assistant provides real-time updates on prayer times, imam schedules, and locations of religious activities. Offered in numerous languages, it reduces logistical stress while deepening spiritual engagement for pilgrims.
The Digital Mutawwif, meanwhile, was created by the General Authority for the Care of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque to serve as a digital companion for Umrah pilgrims. It includes navigation tools for tawaf and sa'i, a library of audio-visual supplications, and built-in ritual counters to help pilgrims stay focused and on track.
These tools are complemented by the Makkah Route Initiative, a fast-track immigration service powered by biometric technology and AI.
Now operating at 11 international airports in seven countries, the initiative allows pilgrims to complete visa, customs, and health checks before boarding their flights — reducing congestion on arrival.
It is supported by round-the-clock monitoring systems run by the Saudi Data and AI Authority, which ensure health compliance and swift issue resolution through AI-driven analytics.
Behind the scenes, more sophisticated AI platforms are addressing the enormous logistical demands of Hajj. One of the most critical is Baseer, a platform developed by the Ministry of Interior in partnership with the Saudi Data and AI Authority.
Using computer vision and machine learning, Baseer tracks and analyzes the movements of more than one million worshippers a day inside the Grand Mosque. The insights help authorities predict crowd surges and prevent dangerous bottlenecks.
• Smart Enrichment Assistant helps pilgrims navigate rituals with real-time updates and multilingual spiritual guidance.
• Digital Mutawwif guides pilgrims step by step through tawaf and sa'i, with visual aids, supplications, and ritual counters.
• Makkah Route Initiative fast tracks immigration using biometrics and AI, easing congestion before pilgrims even arrive.
• Baseer tracks more than a million worshippers a day to manage crowd flow and prevent bottlenecks at the Grand Mosque.
Using AI at this scale is a major milestone in event management, especially in sensitive, sacred contexts.
'Building this technology is one thing, but maintaining system reliability under high demand, ensuring data privacy and properly onboarding personnel is a whole operation in itself,' Mandeel said.
Adding a more personal and interactive touch, the Kingdom has also introduced Manarah 2, a multilingual robot equipped with a smart touchscreen. It provides real-time information and guidance to pilgrims in several languages, along with a dedicated application to help non-Arabic speakers recite Surah Al-Fatiha correctly.
'This demonstrates how Saudi Arabia is taking the initiative to manage — but also elevate — the sacred journey for millions of pilgrims,' Mandeel said. 'This is a powerful example of how AI can thoughtfully enhance sacred, deeply human experiences — something more people globally should be aware of and inspired by.'
With extreme heat, massive crowds, and time-sensitive rituals, the pilgrimage poses huge logistical challenges. But Saudi Arabia's strategic investment in AI is setting a global standard for how digital transformation can serve human traditions.
'This proactive use of technology not only supports the goals of Vision 2030,' Mandeel said. 'But also offers a model for other nations managing large-scale gatherings in sensitive contexts.'
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