Saudi Arabian Inventor Develops Application To Find Lost Hajj Pilgrims, Free!

Congregants packed the Grand Mosque in Makkah during the 1445 H Hajj season. (Source: Twitter @HaramainInfo)

JAKARTA - Breakthroughs in the field of information technology have launched the Hajj season 1445 Hijriyah or 2024, when Saudi Arabia continues to strive to improve its services to pilgrims from various parts of the world.

Saudi Arabian authorities are known to have launched a number of digital technology-based features to artificial intelligence (AI) to serve this year's pilgrims.

Most recently, Saudi Arabian inventor Suliman Saleh Al-Dhalea launched a mobile application to help address the problems of lost or missing pilgrims, especially the elderly and those with special needs.

The application, named "Purshid" (Guiding), connects congregants and worship executors with guides, Hajj and Umrah companies, volunteers and scouters. In addition, this application immediately handles requests from people with disabilities and the elderly.

This application has two features, the ability to report missing pilgrims, and is able to detect the location and movement of the congregation to facilitate the search process if they get lost or are separated from their groups.

Al-Dhalea said the congestion of pilgrims often causes them to get lost at the Hajj site, which means the congregation is separated from their group and cannot rejoin them.

"This project was designed as a result of difficulties in dealing with various communities in holy places, such as Makkah, Mina, Arafah and Medina," he told Arab News, as quoted June 14.

"Our main goal is to find out where the missing congregation is," explained Al-Dhalea.

He said, with the Murshid application, almost no one would get lost during the hajj.

"This is to ensure that pilgrims who come to Saudi Arabia get special services, so that they can carry out the duties of the fifth Islamic pillars and all the rituals are correctly in the best condition," he explained.

"Although we have many volunteers and road seekers helping the missing pilgrims find their way, most have failed to explain effectively where they are, making it difficult for officers to find them. This new application will help us overcome the logistical problems faced during this busy season," explained Al-Dhalea.

He said the app will be operational this year and they have teamed up with the five largest Hajj and Umrah companies.

"Until now we are working with these companies and, in addition, men, women, taxi drivers and other local residents can also work with us as guides," he said.

Al-Dhalea, who comes from Qassim, said the discovery of the app was not a commercial project, and he didn't care how much money it would make.

" Saudi Arabia's great efforts to serve pilgrims in Baitullah made me think about supporting my country and also thinking about a project that could solve some of the problems pilgrims face," he said.

The application he developed also succeeded in proving its effectiveness when it was able to help travelers from Iran who got lost.

"This is my first case during this year's Hajj. His name is Hossein Almasi from Iran. He got lost in Makkah before the Hajj season started, and it was reported to us through our application. We immediately searched and found him," he said.

"Once we found him, we took him with his wife to the center of the Iranian congregation and the man was very happy. Arriving there, he asked us how much to pay for this service. We told him, this is a free service. He hugged me and thanked me," said Al-Dhalea.

It is known that the Hajj season 1445 Hijriyah began on Friday, June 14 yesterday. The Directorate General of Passports of Saudi Arabia confirmed that as of Tuesday, 1,547,295 pilgrims had arrived in the country. Authorities said 1,483,312 pilgrims entered Saudi Arabia via airports, while the rest arrived by land and sea.

Saudi Arabian authorities are implementing about 32 modern technologies to support services for pilgrims this year, ranging from AI use, drones to air taxis.