The Hajj Conference and Exhibition concludes its activities, strengthening partnership and innovation in serving the Guests of Allah.
مؤتمر ومعرض الحج يختتم فعالياته معززًا الشراكة والابتكار في خدمة ضيوف الرحمن
The fourth edition of the "Hajj Conference and Exhibition" under the theme "Path to Nusuk" concluded its activities yesterday in Jeddah. The event was organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in partnership with the Guests of Allah Service Program—one of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiatives—and lasted four days, attracting participants from over 100 countries, 300 exhibitors from various sectors, and more than 150 speakers across over 75 dialogue sessions discussing the future of sectors related to the Guests of Allah. His Excellency the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, extended his gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud—may Allah protect him—for his generous patronage of the fourth edition of the conference, and also thanked the Crown Prince—may Allah support him—for his continued support and oversight, as well as everyone who contributed to facilitating the arrival of the Guests of Allah to the Holy Lands to perform Hajj rituals. The conference, which attracted nearly 150,000 visitors, brought together leading service providers locally and internationally to enhance the quality of services offered to the Guests of Allah and to build bridges of cooperation with Hajj Affairs Offices through the adoption of innovative solutions aimed at developing the service ecosystem and improving performance. These efforts align with the aspirations of the Kingdom’s leadership—may Allah preserve them—in serving the Two Holy Mosques, caring for pilgrims, Umrah performers, and visitors, ensuring their safety and security, facilitating their rituals, and providing comfort and reassurance, reflecting the magnitude of responsibility and the honor of service. The conference highlighted the high reliability of the "Nusuk Masar" platform, which enables countries to complete all arrangements electronically, as part of providing digital services to the Guests of Allah in line with Vision 2030 objectives focusing on improving the quality of digital services and advancing the Hajj and Umrah system. The event included participation from 250 entities across the public, private, and non-profit sectors and reinforced efforts to enhance pilgrims’ experiences and provide services that meet their needs and desires during their spiritual journey. The conference also addressed challenges associated with developing Hajj services, including sustainability, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies, in addition to proposing new ideas to support entrepreneurial and innovative projects in the Hajj sector. On the sidelines of the conference, arrangements agreements for Hajj Affairs were signed with 77 countries worldwide to facilitate the performance of Hajj rituals and improve services for the Guests of Allah. These agreements aim to organize pilgrims’ affairs, determine official quotas, manage entry and exit points, and include approved organizational instructions and procedures for this year’s Hajj season. Prior preparations included delivering around 80 preliminary arrangement documents to Hajj Affairs Offices worldwide, holding more than 78 preparatory meetings, and conducting six workshops for relevant Hajj authorities. These agreements reflect the Kingdom’s commitment to providing an easy and seamless experience for the Guests of Allah and to its pioneering role in serving pilgrims globally, while ensuring the highest standards of quality and organization to enhance international cooperation in this field. Countries coordinate services for their pilgrims according to a scheduled program for this year’s Hajj season, which includes eight phases. The most important phase is the contracting for pilgrims’ services, which began on 20 Rabi’ al-Thani 1446 AH (23 October 2024) and extends until 15 Sha’ban 1446 AH (14 February 2025), which is the final date for contracts. After this date, actual quotas for incoming pilgrims will be determined, and the visa issuance phase will commence. With nearly a month remaining to complete contracts via the "Nusuk Masar" platform dedicated to international pilgrims, most countries used the conference to finalize all arrangements for their pilgrims. It is worth noting that the fifth edition of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition will be held from 10–13 November this year in preparation for the following Hajj season, continuing the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance and improve services provided to pilgrims. The conference will maintain focus on best practices to advance the sector, sustain service development, and highlight the Kingdom’s global position, with the comfort and experience of the Guests of Allah as a top priority through the optimal utilization of available resources.