Jeddah, January 11, 2023, SPA -- Participants in the session on “digital solutions and telecommunications technologies in serving pilgrims”, organized as part of the “Hajj Expo 2023” have discussed the Kingdom’s efforts in enabling and supporting the sectors working in the Hajj season, through providing an advanced system of digital solutions and telecommunication technologies and up-to-date data to serve the Hajj and Umrah sector with the aim of providing the highest quality of services to enable pilgrims to perform their rituals in a smooth and easy manner. The session, moderated by Assistant Deputy Minister for Planning and Digital Transformation Abdulaziz Al-Mathami with the participation of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) Vice President for Future Economics Sector Dr. Mariam Nouh and Vice President of Microsoft Arabia for Public Sector Turki Badhris, discussed the Kingdom’s digital transformation efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and the activation of the remote work and learning technologies as well as emerging technologies to facilitate pilgrimage, including the Internet of things technology, artificial intelligence, enhanced reality, metaverse and drones. The session also went over the ministry’s efforts and relevant sectors in providing services for pilgrims and Umrah performers as well as the importance of digital solutions in accelerating the realization of the Kingdom’s objective to receive 30 million Umrah performers by 2030. Participants in the session also stressed that artificial intelligence technologies will be of immeasurable assistance to pilgrims, starting with performing the rituals to leaving the Holy Sites and the Kingdom. --SPA 10:49 LOCAL TIME 07:49 GMT 0008 www.spa.gov.sa/w1838330