Exceptional preparations to bring the Hajj pilgrimage to the world
As part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's tireless efforts to serve the pilgrims, the Minister of Media, Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossari, conducted a comprehensive inspection tour today. This tour included the headquarters of Umm Al-Qura newspaper, the media facilities in the Holy Sites, and several relevant security agencies. The visit aimed to assess operational and technical readiness firsthand and ensure the smooth flow of work to guarantee the broadcast of the Hajj pilgrimage to the entire world, reflecting the Kingdom's honorable image and the exceptional efforts undertaken by its wise leadership to facilitate the performance of the rituals.
Umm Al-Qura Newspaper: A Century of Documentation and Digital Transformation
The Minister of Information began his tour with a historic and strategic visit to the headquarters of Umm Al-Qura newspaper, where he was briefed on the comprehensive development and digital transformation underway at the Kingdom's official gazette. This visit is of paramount importance given the newspaper's historical context; it was founded by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud – may God have mercy on him – in 1343 AH (1924 CE), becoming the first official media outlet in the country. For over a century, Umm Al-Qura has documented the most important regulations, royal decrees, decisions, and major national transformations.
During the visit, the minister inspected the editorial, technical and printing work mechanisms, and followed the stages of electronic archiving, which aims to convert historical paper content into digital materials that are easy to search, thus supporting the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in digitizing government institutions and preserving the national heritage.
Advanced media equipment in Arafat
Al-Dossari then proceeded to inspect the preparations at the Ministry's headquarters in Arafat, where he observed the latest technologies used in the Saudi Broadcasting Authority's studios and mobile broadcasting units. He listened to a detailed explanation from specialists regarding the media equipment provided to facilitate the work of local journalists and international partners. The importance of this event, both regionally and internationally, stems from the fact that Hajj is the largest annual human gathering in the world, with the attention of more than 1.5 billion Muslims turning towards the holy sites. This necessitates a media infrastructure capable of live broadcasting in multiple languages and with the highest quality standards.
Integration between media and security to serve the pilgrims
Because the success of the Hajj season depends on the integration of all sectors, the Minister of Information's tour included a visit to the Hajj Operations Center (Command and Control) of the Public Security Directorate and the State Security Presidency. He reviewed the integrated security and organizational efforts, emphasizing the pivotal role of the media in supporting security efforts by broadcasting awareness messages, guiding crowds, combating rumors, and highlighting the humanitarian role of security personnel.
At the conclusion of his tour, the Minister addressed a message of thanks and encouragement to the staff of the media system, stressing the need to redouble efforts to highlight the great care that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and His Highness the Crown Prince - may God protect them - give to serving the pilgrims of the Sacred House of God, and to show the noble message of Islam represented in peace, tolerance and unity.
