The Prayer Guide Platform: A digital service in 7 languages for visitors to the Two Holy Mosques
In a move reflecting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to harnessing modern technology to serve the pilgrims, the General Authority for the Care of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque launched the “Prayer Guide” platform, an integrated digital initiative aimed at enriching the spiritual experience of visitors and facilitating their access to knowledge and religious services within the Two Holy Mosques.
Digital system in seven international languages
This platform is part of the digital transformation underway at the Two Holy Mosques, designed to be a smart companion for worshippers, pilgrims, and Umrah performers. Its global reach is remarkable, supporting seven languages to ensure the message reaches the widest possible audience of Muslims worldwide. The supported languages include Arabic, English, Urdu, French, Turkish, Malay, and Indonesian. This linguistic diversity directly contributes to breaking down language barriers and enabling visitors of all nationalities to easily access and benefit from the religious and guidance content.
Enrichment content and accessible technologies
The authority adopted quick access technology in designing the “Prayer Guide” via QR codes carefully distributed throughout the prayer areas, eliminating the need for visitors to download additional applications. The platform is rich with religious content, including:
- The Digital Holy Quran: An easy-to-navigate electronic version with translated meanings, allowing the reader to move between chapters and verses with high flexibility.
- Library of Remembrances and Supplications: A comprehensive encyclopedia of supplications and remembrances narrated from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, carefully classified to correspond with the temporal and spatial times of worship.
- Visual educational content: A series of educational videos that explain the characteristics of acts of worship (such as prayer and Umrah) in a simple and clear manner, which contributes to correcting misconceptions and performing the rituals in the correct legal way.
The context of digital transformation in serving the pilgrims
The launch of the “Prayer Guide” is not an isolated event, but rather part of a broader strategic context aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which places great importance on the experience of pilgrims. The General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques is actively working to automate guidance and information services, replacing traditional methods with smart solutions that keep pace with the increasing number of visitors. This platform is another building block in the edifice of smart services aimed at making the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage more spiritually enriching and reassuring, while minimizing the effort required to find accurate information.
Expected impact locally and within the Islamic world
This platform is expected to contribute to raising religious awareness among pilgrims and reducing common errors in performing religious rites, thanks to its reliable visual content. It also enhances the image of the Two Holy Mosques as beacons of civilization that utilize the latest technologies to serve Islam, reaffirming the Kingdom's leadership in crowd management and providing high-quality services in the holiest of places.
