Saudi Arabia has introduced a digital service that provides real-time crowd updates at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, helping Umrah pilgrims plan their movements and avoid heavily crowded areas.
The new platform allows visitors to check crowd levels around the Kaaba and along the Safa-Marwa walkway before beginning their rituals. The information is designed to help pilgrims choose suitable times and routes while reducing congestion at busy locations.
An interactive map is also included in the digital service, providing more than 100,000 routes for visitors navigating the holy sites. It also identifies around 950 landmarks and points of interest, allowing pilgrims to locate important facilities and other nearby services more easily.
The platform is intended to make movement around the holy sites more convenient, particularly for visitors who may be unfamiliar with the locations and facilities within the mosques.
The system also includes features for people with disabilities by identifying accessible routes. This can help visitors with mobility needs find pathways that are more suitable for reaching different areas of the holy sites.
Crowd management is an important part of accommodating large numbers of pilgrims, particularly during busy periods. Providing visitors with updated information about crowd levels can help distribute movement across different routes and reduce pressure on congested areas.
The digital platform is part of efforts to use technology to improve services for Umrah pilgrims and make their experience more organised. Real-time information can allow visitors to make decisions before moving between different locations instead of relying only on on-site guidance.
With information covering crowd conditions, routes and key landmarks, the system brings several navigation features together in one platform.
The initiative is expected to assist both local and international pilgrims as they perform Umrah and visit the holy sites. By combining crowd information with navigation and accessibility features, the service aims to support smoother movement and improve the overall experience for visitors to Makkah and Madinah.
