International Media Delegations Visit Hajj Command and Control Center in Holy Sites
International media delegations covering this year's Hajj season visited the command and control center in Saudi Arabia's holy sites.
The visit provided them with an in-depth look at the integrated security and technical efforts dedicated to managing the Hajj season.
They were received by Director General of Public Security and Chairman of the Hajj Security Committee Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Bassami.
During their visit, the delegations were briefed on the coordination mechanisms that operate under a unified operational umbrella, bringing together various security and technical agencies.
This robust system is supported by the latest monitoring, analysis, and live surveillance technologies, all of which significantly enhance the national system's readiness to serve pilgrims.
The media representatives also learned about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in supporting efficient crowd management and the proactive dispatch of pilgrims.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
ABB launches mentorship program for female employees
ABB Saudi Arabia has launched its '2025 Women's Mentorship Program,' developed in partnership with the Saudi-Swedish Executive Women's Network. This initiative reinforces ABB Saudi Arabia's commitment to empowering Saudi female talents through cross-cultural collaboration within the Kingdom and beyond. The program is a structured initiative designed to accelerate the professional career growth of ABB Saudi Arabia's female employees by connecting them with experienced mentors from both Saudi Arabia and Sweden. Through monthly one-on-one virtual sessions, group mentoring, shadowing opportunities, and real-world business challenges, mentees will gain leadership insights, strategic guidance, and career development support. Targeting both early-career professionals and high-potential Saudi female employees at ABB Saudi Arabia, the mentorship initiative will strengthen leadership pipelines and support Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals for increasing Saudi female participation in the workforce. 'This mentorship program reflects ABB Saudi Arabia's belief in the power of collaboration and shared success,' said Ali Al-Koud, country HR manager, ABB Saudi Arabia. 'By empowering our Saudi female talents and facilitating knowledge exchange with our Swedish partners, we are not only investing in individual careers — but also in the future of industry and innovation in the Kingdom.' 'We are proud to partner with ABB Saudi Arabia on this impactful initiative. It is a true model for global cooperation and women's empowerment,' said Katie Hagström, director of the Saudi-Swedish Executive Women's Network, and Mentorship Program Lead. 'By linking talented Saudi women with experienced professionals from the Kingdom and Sweden, we are building bridges of opportunity, knowledge, and mutual growth.' The program structure includes regular virtual mentorship sessions, cross-cultural networking, and a graduation ceremony recognizing outstanding achievements. Participating mentors will guide mentees through personalized development journeys, providing both strategic counsel and practical experience. As a recognized technology leader in electrification and automation, ABB Saudi Arabia continues to reinforce its reputation as an employer of choice for women. This program stands as a tangible expression of ABB's values — courage, care, curiosity, and collaboration — and a powerful step toward a more inclusive and diverse industrial future. The Saudi-Swedish Executive Women's Network is a professional network for women in Saudi Arabia and Sweden. The network exists to strengthen the commerce and communal ties between the two countries, with a focus on promoting women in entrepreneurship, board governance, and stakeholder engagement in their respective business communities and in the global market. It achieves its network mission by building direct relationships between individuals.
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi e-commerce sales via Mada cards jump 57% in April to reach $6.2bn
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's e-commerce sales using Mada cards increased by 57 percent in April compared to the same month last year, hitting SR23.27 billion ($6.2 billion). Data by the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, shows online transactions through Mada exceeded 132 million for the month, up 40.75 percent year on year, reflecting a substantial increase in consumers shopping via websites and mobile apps. These figures include purchases made online using linked debit cards and e-wallets, but they do not account for credit card transactions processed through international networks such as Visa or Mastercard. Mada, formerly known as Saudi Payment Network, is the Kingdom's national electronic payment system, connecting all ATMs and point-of-sale terminals to a central payments switch. It enables debit and prepaid card services for millions of Saudis, allowing them to pay both in stores and online using funds directly from bank accounts. Importantly, Mada transactions utilize near-field communication technology for secure, contactless payments, meaning shoppers can simply tap their card or smartphone at terminals for instant checkout. This system has become a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's push toward a cashless economy, ensuring fast and secure transactions at physical retail locations and on e-commerce platforms. The accelerating uptake of Mada-enabled digital payments highlights growing consumer trust in online shopping and the success of national efforts to modernize the payments ecosystem. In-store sales plateau as online spending soars Despite the e-commerce boom, in-store point-of-sale transactions showed contrasting trends in April. The total value of POS purchases at physical retail outlets slipped to SR52.22 billion, marking a 1.38 percent decline year on year according to SAMA data. This slight drop in sales comes even as the number of POS transactions climbed by around 11.6 percent to 891.5 million over the same period. In other words, Saudi consumers made significantly more card payments in person than a year ago, but were spending slightly less per transaction on average. SAMA's figures indicate over 2 million POS terminals are now deployed nationwide to facilitate card payments — a network 16.37 percent larger than a year ago, reflecting the Kingdom's drive to expand electronic payment acceptance among businesses large and small. This divergence — higher transaction counts but lower total POS value — suggests a behavioral shift as digital payments become frequent for everyday purchases. With contactless 'tap-and-go' cards and mobile wallets now the norm, consumers are using cards for smaller, frequent buys like groceries or coffee. This has driven up transaction volumes while curbing the average ticket size of each sale. Indeed, nearly all card swipes are now contactless; about 94 percent of in-store card transactions in Saudi Arabia are made via NFC, whether through a physical card, smartphone, or smartwatch, according to SAMA. The convenience of tap-to-pay has encouraged people to rely less on cash even for low-value items, contributing to the surge in POS transaction counts. Another factor influencing the year-on-year comparison is the timing of Ramadan and Eid shopping. In 2024, the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid Al-Fitr festival fell largely in April, boosting retail spending in that period. In contrast, Ramadan in 2025 fell mainly in March, pushing POS sales to about SR66 billion that month. As a result, April 2025 didn't see the same holiday-related boost, which likely played a role in the softer in-store sales figures, even though the overall trend in electronic transactions continues to grow. Categories like food & beverages and dining — which according to SAMA data were the top two POS spending sectors in April at around SR7.7 billion each — continue to dominate physical sale, but their growth may have been tempered without the late-Ramadan rush present a year ago. Fintech innovation The growth is also being fueled by new services and partnerships. In April, SAMA signed an agreement with Google to launch Google Pay in Saudi Arabia using Mada's payment infrastructure. Expected to roll out later in 2025, this integration will allow users to add their Mada-linked debit cards to Google Wallet for seamless tap-to-phone payments and online purchases, further expanding the mobile payment options available to consumers. This follows earlier introductions of Apple Pay and local mobile wallets, meaning Saudi shoppers will soon have a full suite of global and domestic smartphone payment apps at their disposal. Such developments not only offer greater convenience but also help normalize cashless spending across all demographics — including younger, tech-savvy consumers who favor using their phones and wearables to pay.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Blacklane, Lucid partner to boost sustainable mobility in Kingdom
Blacklane, a global chauffeur service, and Lucid Group, maker of advanced electric vehicles, have announced a strategic partnership to expand sustainable, premium transportation solutions across Saudi Arabia. Through this collaboration, Lucid's vehicle lineup will be integrated into Blacklane's chauffeur service platform across the Kingdom. The partnership will support Blacklane on its trajectory to double operations in the region by the end of 2025, including significantly expanding services in key cities like Riyadh and Jeddah. The agreement represents Blacklane's most ambitious initiative to date, aimed at expanding a robust network of electric vehicle options within the region's mobility sector, and furthers Lucid's ongoing efforts to provide more opportunities to experience its advanced electric vehicles in the region. To further support this effort, Lucid and Blacklane will also work together to support the rollout of EV charging infrastructure in the region. 'Our relationship with Lucid marks a significant step forward in our global mission to deliver high-end, sustainable and scalable mobility solutions and a key milestone to further electrifying the Kingdom,' said Dr. Jens Wohltorf, CEO and co-founder of Blacklane. 'Together we are investing to set new industry standards and are proud to be part of a thriving and innovative business culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, fostered by Vision 2030.' 'Partnering with Blacklane reflects our strong commitment to pioneering the future of mobility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,' said Faisal Sultan, president, Middle East at Lucid. 'Through this partnership, Blacklane guests will now have access to the Lucid lineup, including the award-winning Lucid Air sedan and the new Lucid Gravity SUV, offering superior range, elevated comfort, and extensive room for guests and all their luggage.' The Lucid Air sedan will be available to Blacklane guests immediately. The Lucid Gravity SUV will be added later this year as the rollout of the new SUV intensifies.
