Saudi Arabia Issues First Hajj Smart Card

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has issued the first Hajj smart card for the current season of pilgrimage (Hajj).

The card links the pilgrims to providers of all services such as encamping, using means of transportation, checking in hotels, and paying through Automated Teller Machines (ATM).

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Adviser of the Guardian of the Two Holy Shrines, Prince of Mecca, and Head of the Commission of Hajj, and his deputy Prince Badr bin Sultan were supervising issuing the first Hajj smart card.

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal inspected today, Monday, the holy places in Mecca to reaffirm readiness of facilities to receive pilgrims.

Modern technologies will be employed for the first time to service pilgrims during their spiritual journey.

Prince Al-Faisal opened the Welcoming and Receiving Pilgrims project at Al-Zaydy neighborhood in attendance of Abdel Fattah Al-Mashat, Deputy of Minister of Hajj and Umrah.

The project aims to facilitate the movement of pilgrims from/to Mecca and reduce the time of the waiting buses boarding them and improve the spectacle view of the checkpoints.

The center comprises park lots that can house 8 thousand vehicles, entry, and exit gates.

Prince of Mecca followed up by issuing the first smart Hajj card.

He listened to the Deputy of Minister of Hajj and Umrah as he explained the card's features, which avails many services to pilgrims such as guiding the errant pilgrims, controlling entering and going out the camps along with the timing of moving and grouping of the pilgrims.