JEDDAH: Wednesday marked the final day of the international conference and exhibition of Hajj and Umrah services, which began on March 21 at Jeddah Superdome. The “Transformation Toward Innovation” conference was organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in collaboration with the Doyof Al Rahman (Guests of Allah) Program. The third day included three talks: “Financing needs of sectors operating in the Hajj and Umrah sector,” “Innovation Management in Hajj and Umrah,” and “Intelligent Transportation for Pilgrims.” The talks were presented by experts and academics from the Hajj and Umrah sector. There was also a special session, “Coordination Council for institutions and companies serving domestic pilgrims,” presented by Dr. Saed Al-Jehani, chairman of the Coordinating Council of Domestic Pilgrims Institutions and Companies. According to its website, the council aims to coordinate the institutions and companies for pilgrims and the relevant government, private and nonprofit entities. The council also implemented initiatives and partnerships to develop the level of service provided for pilgrims. During the session, Al-Jehani said that the council was formed of 185 companies working on generating more creative solutions for the Hajj and Umrah experience. “We aspire to a better reality, and we must expect the future of Hajj and Umrah to be full of innovative solutions. We wish each of our companies to emulate this issue in particular,” he said. “At the council, we will take care of providing innovative solutions in the coming Hajj seasons and we will focus on tracks such as housing, transportation, catering, knowledge content, administrative and health affairs, and services.” Serving pilgrims, facilitating Hajj and Umrah rituals, and raising the efficiency of services are top of the Kingdom’s priorities. The “Hajj and Umrah Challenge” was created to find creative technical solutions that improve the quality of Hajj and Umrah services, enrich the experience of pilgrims, and improve the digital infrastructure of the Hajj and Umrah sector. The “Hajj and Umrah Challenge” was announced by Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah, on the first day of the conference. Saudi entrepreneurs were asked to come up with creative solutions in three days, through six tracks that aim to create a better experience for pilgrims including crowd and waste management, transportation, catering, health and housing. More than 1,500 participants registered for the challenge. During the three days of the conference, they were sorted into 13 entries from more than 40 projects that were qualified through a jury from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. There was SR150,000 ($40,000) in prize money on offer, and 10 ideas passed to the final phase. Winners of the challenge were announced, and the top ten participants honored. The first three projects won SR50,000, SR30,000, and SR20,000. The first-place winner, Affaf Al-Hajjaji, quality control manager at Makkah Technical College, said: “Big thanks to the team that worked with me remotely for the past three days. They proved that as long as there is a desire to work, nothing can stop you.” Dr. Abdulfattah Mashat, deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah, said that the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah would adopt the first five winning ideas and include them in business accelerators and transform the ideas into reality. He thanked everyone who contributed to the success of the conference and exhibition, as well as partners, companies and sponsors. The accompanying exhibition witnessed the participation of many government and private sectors showcasing products, programs and projects that seek to bring pilgrims a better experience. The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque was among the most interesting booths, offering guests the chance to experience a VR visit to the “Black Stone.” It enabled visitors to enjoy an immersive experience by seeing the “Kaaba.”