Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has enhanced 11 international airports with technical services to facilitate pilgrims’ journey under the Makkah Route Initiative for the year 2025. These airports are located in seven countries, which are selected for the initiative, being implemented by the Ministry of Interior in collaboration with several government entities. These upgrades employ the latest digital technologies powered by data and AI.

SDAIA’s ongoing efforts aimed to support the initiative annually, ensuring smooth travel procedures for pilgrims, from departure in their home countries to arrival in Saudi airports and their return journey, allowing them to travel with ease, comfort, and tranquility.

SDAIA’s technical team monitors the systems and workstations associated with the initiative across the 11 airports automatically to ensure operational continuity and smooth processes, while also providing continuous technical support to address any emergency malfunctions, thereby ensuring the highest levels of performance and integration.

SDAIA equipped biometric registration stations for pilgrims at the airports with the latest technologies to provide integrated services for beneficiaries of the initiative, in addition to deploying mobile workstations. It also prepared the technical infrastructure to the highest standards to ensure the readiness of all entry points and the swift completion of procedures for pilgrims, in line with its operational plan.

SDAIA conducted multiple high-availability tests on all systems and technical devices to ensure their efficiency and completed all necessary technical integrations with relevant entities to guarantee procedural integration and the swift, effective registration of pilgrims’ biometric data with optimal speed and efficiency.

SDAIA’s efforts for this year’s Hajj aim to integrate with all relevant government sectors to provide the best possible services to pilgrims, in line with the directives of the Kingdom’s wise leadership, which emphasize doing everything possible to serve the pilgrims, in support of the Pilgrim Experience Program — one of the Saudi Vision 2030’s initiatives.