For many decades, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has had the honor of serving the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors, welcoming millions of pilgrims and visitors annually to perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage. The Vision 2030 came to achieve a significant transformation in the services provided, including improving facilities, quality, amenities, enriching Islamic culture, and enhancing religious identity.
The efforts made by the Saudi sectors in the security, service, and logistic sectors each year have been successful in managing and organizing the crowds arriving in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and Makkah Al-Mukarramah. It was necessary for these efforts to be accompanied by projects and initiatives. Therefore, the Ministry of Interior launched the Mecca Road Initiative in 1438 AH/2018 AD, as part of the Guests of the Merciful Program in collaboration with partner entities to enhance the quality of services provided to the guests of the Merciful. The initiative was implemented in airports of the beneficiary countries, and it received great appreciation and enhanced the concept of “service honor” in the subsequent years of its implementation.
With the increasing number of pilgrims year after year, the Ministry of Interior has invested in the “Mecca Road Initiative” this year (2024 AD, 1445 AH) by using mobile devices containing the “Ten-Finger Biometric Tablet” developed with artificial intelligence. These devices were provided in dedicated halls at 11 airports in 7 countries benefiting from the initiative, including Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Ivory Coast. These devices were able to automate the procedures for beneficiaries by collecting vital features, capturing facial images, and reading travelers’ passport data. They also provide a service for the elderly and people with disabilities safely and reliably in cooperation with the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (Sadaia).
The mobile device features a fingerprint sensor, passport scanner, front camera, rear camera, communication network, and data processing system for Ministry of Interior’s user verification, checking passport and visa documents’ validity. The device helps enhance the work of passport operators at ports during peak times, increase capacity to reduce congestion, and convert temporary ports into international ports.
