Lessons from Saudi Arabia’s successful tech-enabled crowd management for the world.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a unique position in the world due to the large number of visitors it receives every year for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. Historic places like Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah hold great importance for Muslims around the world. These cities have a rich history that dates back centuries and are considered to be some of the holiest places in Islam.?

The Kingdom has made significant efforts to serve pilgrims and Umrah performers, focusing on crowd management as one of the strongest pillars of its Vision 2030. To understand the scale, one can just look at the number of worshippers. During the holy month of Ramadan in 2023, the number of worshippers touched nearly 19 million. The goal of the Kingdom is to host 100 million visits by 2030, making it one of the top five tourist-receiving countries in the world. To achieve this, the Kingdom is focused on developing and upgrading the tourism, culture, and entertainment sectors, which could be considered among the main pillars for diversifying sources of income.

Due to the large number of crowds, the Kingdom needs to take due diligence and care to ensure a safe and hassle-free environment for visitors. The Kingdom uses several technologies and tools and has established itself as a global leader in crowd management, owing to its outstanding management capabilities and ongoing organizational process throughout the year that intensifies during religious seasons. Despite its narrow and limited geographical location, the Kingdom has managed to successfully accommodate and disperse crowds with full commitment to provide a healthy and safe environment for their safety, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kingdom's success in managing the Hajj pilgrimage during the pandemic has provided valuable lessons for other countries and organizations around the world. The organization and management of this huge event involve significant challenges, including crowd management, logistics, and security among others. In recent years, the use of technology, including smartphones, has played a critical role in facilitating crowd management during the Hajj.

The Hajj in 2021 witnessed exceptional and distinguished preparation using advanced equipment, relying extensively on modern and cutting-edge technology to organize the Hajj and perform crowd management, including artificial intelligence techniques and fifth-generation (5G) technologies, as advanced technical and digital solutions. The pilgrims were received with robots, and internet service was activated in many sites, including the corridors of the two holy mosques. Pilgrims were required to use smart phones and applications, which facilitated their engagement with the Hajj. Among the technologies used in the administration of the Hajj are radio frequency identification chips, which were provided in the form of a smart bracelet on the wrist. The bracelets provide an array of services, including information related to the pilgrim and his/her health status. In addition to following up and monitoring health status data related to the measurement of blood oxygen and the pulse, along with services for requesting emergency medical or security assistance to help in the quick arrival to the location. The pilgrims also received awareness messages through the bracelet. Similarly, the Government has developed the Saudi Visa Bio app to help in facilitating visa processing for visitors. AI is also playing a key role, with the Government developing AI algorithms to improve the efficiency of crowd control techniques and ensure the safety of visitors.

The use of advanced technology and innovative solutions, combined with a strong commitment to safety and security, has enabled the Kingdom to continue hosting the Hajj pilgrimage while ensuring the health and well-being of all pilgrims. This experience can be applied to other large-scale events, such as sports competitions, concerts, and festivals, to help ensure that they can be held safely and efficiently in the future.

I will be sharing more detailed insights in my coming post...