In a move reflecting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's commitment to harnessing the latest technologies to serve pilgrims, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques continues its tireless efforts to enhance the digital transformation of religious services by activating and developing the "Pilgrim Portal" digital platform. This step comes in response to the directives emphasizing the need to facilitate access for pilgrims, visitors, and Umrah performers to reliable religious content, and to ease the performance of their rituals with comfort and peace of mind.
The context of digital transformation in serving the Two Holy Mosques
The launch and development of the “Al-Qasid Portal” is not an isolated event, but rather an integral part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which prioritizes serving pilgrims. Recent years have witnessed a qualitative leap in the services provided at the Two Holy Mosques, with many traditional services being transformed into smart digital platforms. This strategy aims to accommodate the increasing numbers of Umrah and Hajj pilgrims, ensuring they receive accurate religious information in their various languages, thus transcending the barriers of time and place.
Comprehensive services via “Al-Qasid Portal”
The “Al-Qasid Portal” platform offers a wide range of religious and enrichment services that visitors need, including:
- Live broadcast: Live transmission of sermons and scholarly lessons held in the corridors of the Two Holy Mosques, allowing Muslims around the world to follow the rituals moment by moment.
- Educational content: Providing simple and accessible explanations of the manner of prayer and ablution, in addition to explaining legal terms for non-Arabic speakers.
- Supplications and Recitations: An audio library containing selections of traditional supplications and humble recitations by the Imams of the Two Holy Mosques.
- Information services: Accurate display of prayer times, and introduction to holy sites and historical landmarks of the Two Holy Mosques.
Alternative platforms and enhanced global message
Believing in the universality of the Two Holy Mosques' message, the Presidency did not limit itself to the Qasid portal alone, but rather strengthened it with specialized digital platforms aimed at disseminating Islamic knowledge and correcting recitation. Among the most prominent of these platforms are "Risalat al-Haramayn" (Message of the Two Holy Mosques), which publishes digital books in several international languages, and "Maqra'at al-Haramayn" (The Two Holy Mosques Recitation Center), a global project for teaching and reciting the Holy Quran remotely.
The “Surah Al-Fatihah Platform” also stands out as one of the quality projects that aims to teach the Mother of the Book and correct its recitation using artificial intelligence and modern technologies, reflecting the Presidency’s keenness to enrich the experience of visitors with modern methods that keep pace with the spirit of the times.
Expected impact and strategic importance
This digital transformation is of paramount importance on several levels. Locally, it contributes to streamlining crowd flow by informing visitors before their arrival, thus reducing congestion and facilitating crowd management. Regionally and internationally, these platforms contribute to disseminating the Kingdom's moderate and tolerant approach and projecting a positive image of the Two Holy Mosques as beacons of knowledge and guidance, thereby enhancing the Kingdom's soft power and reaffirming its leadership in serving the Muslim world.
