Kuwait city: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has continued for years its dedicated efforts and unwavering commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors throughout the year, particularly during seasons such as the holy month of Ramadhan and Hajj.
According to Kuwait News Agency, various government and service entities work in an integrated institutional framework to uphold the Kingdom's responsibility toward Islam's holiest sites. In addition to comprehensive security, organizational and healthcare services, and highly efficient operational plans, the Kingdom consistently introduces qualitative initiatives to further enhance services.
The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques announced the completion of its operational and technical readiness for the Ramadhan of 1447 AH through a comprehensive plan tailored specifically for the holy month. The plan takes peak times into account and operates at maximum operational and capacity levels through qualified personnel and accumulated expertise.
The plan includes several new and upgraded initiatives, such as activating 3D interactive maps at the Two Holy Mosques to facilitate easy access to facilities and routes, and launching an elderly transport service from transit stations to ensure their comfort and smooth mobility. It also features the activation of visitor counting systems using digital sensors to provide accurate data supporting crowd management and optimal organization.
Visitor service-satisfaction devices have been introduced to monitor service quality and ensure continuous improvement. In addition, interactive guidance screens inside the Grand Mosque and its courtyards provide directional services in five languages. Enhancing spatial guidance through teams on the ground using simultaneous interpretation, facilitating positioning through numbering doors inside the Grand Mosque, in addition to activating the (Rasid Reports) service to enhance the speed of response to observations and suggestions.
Other initiatives include launching an updated version of the "Worshipper's Guide" with comprehensive content and interactive technologies, operating the Engineering Command Center at the Two Holy Mosques to monitor operations and enhance on-site response efficiency, and facilitating location identification through gate numbering inside the Grand Mosque.
Meanwhile, the Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Al-Madinah launched its Ramadan operational plan, comprising 100 qualitative initiatives along with several new projects. These initiatives include exhibitions, in addition to the launch of digital platforms and smart applications, expansion of translation services into more than 40 languages, and field awareness and enrichment programs throughout the holy month.
The Hajj and Umrah Ministry also launched the "Coming for Umrah" campaign, which will run until the end of Ramadhan, aiming to raise awareness among visitors about services, procedures, guidelines and proper conduct during their spiritual journey through diverse digital and on-ground communication channels. The campaign includes awareness activities at more than 18 contact points for the visitors, including entry ports, airports, transport stations and the Two Holy Mosques, alongside digital and media outreach in more than six languages to broaden access and reach diverse audiences.
For its part, Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) announced its operational plan for the season, operating more than 3,662 trips and providing over 1.7 million seats in response to growing demand between the two holy cities, with daily trips exceeding 100. In the transport sector, the General Transport Center completed its operational and regulatory preparations for Ramadhan within an integrated system aimed at organizing transportation movement in Makkah.
This includes activating the Transport Control Room to monitor readiness for transport to and from the Grand Mosque, Makkah Buses and Makkah taxis, ensuring uninterrupted operations and efficient traffic management around the clock. Al-Madinah Region Development Authority, represented by Madinah Buses, launched shuttle transport services during Ramadhan to facilitate the movement of worshippers and visitors to and from the Prophet's Mosque and Qubaa Mosque via designated stations across the city.
In Madinah, the Saudi Red Crescent Authority launched its operational plan for the Umrah season during Ramadhan to enhance emergency medical services for visitors, particularly at the Prophet's Mosque. The plan includes the operation of 10 operational sectors comprising 97 ambulance units, including 70 ambulances, 12 rapid-response teams using motorcycles, bicycles and electric bikes, as well as 15 golf carts and specialized disaster and mass-casualty response vehicles equipped with the latest medical technologies. More than 472 personnel from various specialties are participating in the implementation of the plan.
Additionally, Minister of Hajj and Umrah and Chairman of the Board of the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, recently inaugurated the Smart Engineering Command and Control Center at the Prophet's Mosque, reflecting the Authority's commitment to developing services and enhancing operational efficiency. These sustained efforts each season by various entities underscore Saudi Arabia's commitment - under the directives of its leadership - to providing the highest level of services to visitors of the Two Holy Mosques, improving operational efficiency, and enriching the spiritual experience of worshippers during the holy month of Ramadhan.