The KSA Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has activated the smart card digital identity initiative to provide services to Hajj pilgrims for the second year running. While the cards were used on a small scale in 2019, the service was expanded in 2020 to include all pilgrims and participants.
Dr Amr Al-Maddah, Supervisor General of the Planning and Development Agency at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, said that the smart cards are part of the ministry’s strategy for digital transformation via creating virtual platforms to facilitate and reduce procedures, keep pace with the technological developments and achieve the goals of the Vision 2030 Executive Programme called Serving Pilgrims. He added that the smart cards are extensions of the Smart Hajj platform project launched by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Each card includes the pilgrim’s personal, medical and residential information, which are required for various services, such as guiding pilgrims to their residence at holy sites, controlling access to facilities, and reducing illegal Hajj. The cards also include near-field communications (NFC) to read Hajj data through self-service machines as well as a barcode that can be read by Hajj support staff.