Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of the Madinah Region, the second edition of the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum closed this week following a successful three days of dialogue, discussion and knowledge sharing between leading local and international stakeholders designed to elevate the Umrah and Ziyarah experience for millions of Muslims worldwide.
In closing the Forum, Dr. Abdulaziz Abdulrahim Wazan, Deputy Minister for Umrah Affairs, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, highlighted the significant outcomes of this year’s forum, which included the hosting of more than 4,000 meetings, resulting in 4251 signed agreements across the ecosystem – a 25 percent increase on the inaugural event in 2024.
Dr Wazan also noted that 20 site visits were conducted for participating delegations across the three days, including visits to historical and development locations in Madinah, while a global innovation challenge saw participation from over 150 local and international teams, from 20 countries, focusing on sustainability and innovation in Umrah services.
The closing ceremony marked a strong finish to a forum that successfully bridged public-private partnerships, digital transformation, infrastructure development, and entrepreneurial innovation – all focused on improving and enriching the experience of pilgrims to the Two Holy Mosques. Other event highlights included the hosting of more than 100 speakers from over 15 countries, providing insights and sharing experiences to enhance the Umrah journey.
Urban Development and Digitalisation the Perfect Blend to Enhance Umrah Experience
During the final day of the high-calibre conference, finance and governmental leaders discussed how digital transformation and urban development are working hand-in-hand to enhance the Umrah and Ziyarah journey in Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Abdulrahman Shams, Assistant Undersecretary for Umrah Affairs at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and Issam Chleuh, Senior Advisor, African Development Bank, participated in an engaging discussion moderated by Rakan Madah, Executive Vice President of Discover Kingdom at the Pilgrims Experience Program.
The Assistant Undersecretary for Umrah Affairs at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah stressed the importance of adopting digital technologies to improve both service quality and operational efficiency for pilgrims.
“We’ve seen tremendous progress in the digitalization of Hajj and Umrah services, but challenges remain — especially around digital literacy, cultural diversity, and trust in sharing personal data,” he said.
He highlighted several focus areas, including bridging the digital gap among visitors from different regions and levels of tech familiarity; increasing trust in digital platforms by ensuring data protection and user-friendly service; and major advancements in inter-agency government integration, now providing more seamless coordination than ever before.
He also introduced the ‘Live Umrah Program’, set to launch in 2025, which will allow visitors to fully customize their Umrah journey through the Nusuk platform, selecting packages, destinations, and services independently – without the need for intermediaries.
Rakan Madah emphasized that the integration of smart city infrastructure with digital services is essential for meeting the expectations of a growing number of visitors; “The goal is not just development — it’s ensuring these developments are intelligent, connected, and designed around the needs of pilgrims,” said Madah.
This was a view shared by Issam Chleuh, who said Saudi Arabia’s investment in digital transformation had put the Kingdom in a prime position to continue attracting foreign investment in the sector to further help enhance the Umrah experience.
“We are seeing the real power of digital transformation and in the case of Saudi Arabia, it has increased productivity in the government sector; the creation of new innovations and industries with the government technology industry and new skillst,” said Chleuh. He added digital transformation had helped “democratise” public services, such as e-visas, all of which helps attract foreign investment.
While the Kingdom ranks high globally in terms of digital transformation, Chleuh said the focus can now turn to enhancing smart city capabilities for Umrah visitors.
With Makkah ranked 58 and Madinah 18 out of 141 countries on the smart cities index, Chleuh said with increased public-private partnerships the Kingdom has a unique opportunity to optimise big data collected from visitors across the Umrah and Ziyarah ecosystem to create a “full smart city-supported experience”, with seamless transit from the moment they plan their trip to the time they leave the Kingdom.
Media Plays a Crucial Role in Shaping Umrah Narratives
The role of the media is critical in creating a balanced narrative around Umrah and Ziyarah, agreed a trio of media industry personalities during a discussion on ‘The Role of Media in Shaping Pilgrimage Narratives’.
Dr Abdulrahman Alkheraigi, Communications and International Relations Advisor, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, told attendees the media had become a custodian of a legacy in terms of telling the Umrah story; a creator of the narrative, he said, from traditional media to new media platforms.
He said Umrah is an “intimate experience for all,” and the media has a responsibility to report accurate news, adding that in order to help enhance the Umrah experience, media should strike a balance between reporting challenges and telling the stories behind the news, of volunteers and those enjoying their spiritual journey in order to inspire people.”
Fellow panelist Alice Morrson, an explorer and journalist, who is currently in the middle of an epic journey traversing Saudi Arabia on foot, from the northern border with Jordan to the southern border with Yemen, acknowledged her role in changing perceptions about the Kingdom and its people by documenting her journey.
“I thought before coming to Saudi Arabia that the people would not be very friendly and would not like the fact that I was walking across their country. However, from the moment I arrived, I was greeted so warmly, and people have been so friendly. I have completely changed my opinion. The hospitality has been unbelievable,” said Morrison.
The panelists, including moderator Lama Alhamawi, from Arab News, agreed that balanced reporting is the duty of the media, but Morrison added that not everyone agrees on what makes a good story and “that’s the beauty of it.”
Dr Abdulrahman Alkheraigi, said the media should follow a code of ethics in reporting what is happening in “real life and what is happening in fantasy land.”
Morrison added: “We do like sad stories, bad stories, as people, but we also like the good stories. That’s what makes storytelling so wonderful.”
The panelists said that educating people, including the media, about what is happening in Saudi Arabia, providing people with information to make their visit more enlightening and meaningful, would go a long way to enhancing experiences for all.
Among the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum 2025 line-up of sponsors, Rua Al Madinah Holding (Official Partner), Al Rajhi for Umrah (Strategic Sponsor), Tasheer (Strategic Sponsor), Knowledge Economic City (Strategic Sponsor), Awqaf (Strategic Sponsor), Al Madinah Regional Development Authority (Strategic Sponsor), Elm (Strategic Sponsor), Al Rajhi Mateen Al Manasik (Strategic Sponsor) , STC (Digital Enabler Partner), Saudi Tourism Authority (Platinum Sponsors), SAR (Platinum Sponsor), Taibah Investments (Makarem) (Platinum Sponsor), Tawuniya Insurance (Official Insurance Partner), Movenpick (Gold Sponsor), Jabal Omar (Silver Sponsor), Al Harmain (Experience Partner), Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Knowledge and Innovation Partners), Islamic University of Madinah (Knowledge and Innovation Partners), Umm Al-Qura University (Knowledge and Innovation Partners), University of Prince Murgin (Knowledge and Innovation Partners), Mansky (Bronze Sponsor), Armed Forces Medical Services (Emergency Medical Services Partner), Jawlah (Transportation Partners), Huda Al Hijaz (Transportation Partners) and The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Cultural Partner)who will showcase pioneering solutions to enhance Umrah services and foster long-term industry collaborations. The event is also expected to attract more than 25,000 visitors, including business leaders, investors, Umrah travel experts and professionals, decision makers, diplomatic representatives, non-profit organisations, media, entrepreneurs and innovators, and Umrah sector operators.
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