RIYADH: Some 400 agreements are set to be reached at the Hajj Expo 2023 being held in Jeddah in January, according to Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah. The conference and exhibition of Hajj and Umrah services will be held from Jan. 9-12, 2023 under the patronage of Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, and the four-day event aims to build a thriving digital ecosystem that will help pilgrims have better experiences. It brings together influential people from all over the world to discuss and plan technical advancements based on scientific foundations, to anticipate the future needs of pilgrims, and to create chances for partnerships, agreements, and initiatives on a local and global scale. There will be over 200 speakers and participants at the event, and according to Al-Rabiah, the conference will present the projects and initiatives that are provided by Saudi Arabia for all pilgrims. He also emphasized the great role of the Kingdom to facilitate performing Hajj and Umrah, and referred to the unique opportunity for creative thinkers to come together and share their knowledge, achieving the Saudi Vision 2030 objectives. “We look forward to concluding more agreements and business partnerships at this conference, and we expect the number of agreements to reach 400,” Al-Rabiah said, noting that the conference attracts widespread international attention and will feature the attendance of delegations representing more than 56 countries, including ministers, ambassadors and consuls. “Expo Hajj” will play host to 10 keynote sessions, 13 panels and Hajj talks, and 36 workshops, in addition to many events and activities associated with promoting a culture of quality in providing Hajj and Umrah services, such as the Islamic exhibition, the Hajj hackathon and the startups area. The conference will discuss and highlight a wide range of themes relevant to the development of services for guests, including logistics, transportation, crowd management operations, housing and hospitality services, catering services, facility and service management, safety and health care, and enriching pilgrims’ experiences. The ministry works to improve their journeys to the Two Holy Mosques and enrich their religious and cultural experiences in order to fulfill the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030.