Artificial intelligence to help crowd management at Saudi Arabia’s holy sites
September 15, 2022, 11:30 am

Artificial intelligence to help crowd management at Saudi Arabia’s holy sites

The sighting of the moon marks the beginning of the Dhu al-Hijjah Islamic month in which the Hajj pilgrimage is performed followed by Eid al-Adha - Pic. Pixabay

Artificial intelligence algorithms are to be developed and rolled out across Saudi Arabia to help crowd management and streamline services for pilgrims visiting holy sites in the Kingdom, the second edition of the Global AI Summit in Riyadh heard, according to the al-Arabiya English.

Lieutenant General Mohammed Al-Bassami, Director of Public Security at the Saudi Ministry of Interior, made the announcement during the panel ‘Holistic Adoption of AI Technology’ at the Summit, held under the patronage of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the official Saudi news agency (SPA), reported on Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Bassami discussed the Kingdom’s crowd management as huge numbers of citizens, residents, and visitors flock every year to the two holy mosques.

Approximately 2.5 million pilgrims typically visit the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina for the week-long Hajj.

The lieutenant said efforts are developing to increase the capacity to receive visitors and pilgrims, in line with the targets of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, with upgraded services driven by cutting-edge technology.

Saudi Arabia is a major religious destination with millions visiting Islam's two holy cities of Mecca and Medina annually to perform the hajj and umrah pilgrimages (Photo: Pixabay)

He said a massive effort requires countless man-hours and an army of personnel working around the clock to provide the best possible service for visitors to the Kingdom’s holy sites.

AI, he said, is a tool to ensure the quality of those services.

He added that AI technologies introduced recently at the two holy mosques have been helping keep crowds under control as they enter and leave thanks to faster decision-making, while ensuring that no more than the right number of people are present anywhere around the sites at any given time.

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Thanks to these technologies, any crowd-related contingencies can be dealt with swiftly and with little disruption, he said.

Dr. Majed Altuwaijri, Chief Executive Officer of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI), said that the cooperation comes as part of NCAI’s efforts to develop AI solutions for applications across various national sectors.

Lt. Gen. Bassami pointed out that the Ministry of Interior, under the guidance of HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, has multiple plans in place to manage crowds and move people in and out of the two holy mosques with real-time monitoring.

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He added that AI enables enhanced coordination and integration among many agencies to achieve the overall goal of making the pilgrimage experience smoother and safer.

The second edition of the Global AI Summit kicked off Tuesday morning in the Saudi capital Riyadh, bringing together various stakeholders and academics to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and the Kingdom’s contribution to this field.

Over 200 speakers representing 90 countries have come together for the global summit at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center.

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The Global AI Summit, organized by Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), is touching on topics such as the impact of AI on the public and private sectors, healthcare, environment, transportation, smart cities and culture among other matters.

The Summit will conclude Thursday (Sep 15).

Source: alarabiyaenglish

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”