JEDDAH — Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah stated that the topics of this year’s Hajj symposium reflect the profound transformations witnessed by the Hajj system over the past five decades. “During this period, the Kingdom has established a pioneering global model in crowd management and humanitarian services founded on the integration of strategic planning, institutional development, and modern technologies,” he said while inaugurating the 50th Grand Hajj Symposium in Jeddah on Wednesday. The symposium, with the theme “An active platform serving the guests of God… Half a century of knowledge enrichment,” is organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in cooperation with the Council of Senior Scholars. Al-Rabiah noted that this year’s Hajj season demonstrates the sophistication of this advanced system in managing the pilgrims’ journey through the operation of thousands of flights and the coordinated efforts of dozens of entities overseeing what is considered one of the world’s most complex operational systems, all within a limited geographical area and a short timeframe. The minister explained that the Hajj system has evolved from one focused on responding to challenges into a model driven by science and modern technology, thereby enhancing operational efficiency, improving the quality of services, and enabling pilgrims to perform their rituals with ease and peace of mind. Al-Rabiah emphasized that the integrated efforts and enhanced performance witnessed today would not have been possible without the grace of God, the support of the wise leadership, and its unwavering commitment to ensuring that the services provided to pilgrims meet the highest standards, in a manner befitting the sanctity of the holy sites and the honor of serving the guests of God. The minister said that the Grand Hajj Symposium represents a continuation of a scientific journey spanning more than 50 years of scholarly dialogue focused on developing the Hajj services system. “This reflects the significance of this ritual in the conscience of the country and its leadership, as well as their commitment to ensuring that science remains a key partner in improving service quality and enhancing the satisfaction of the guests of God,” he added. Several ministers, scholars, thinkers, researchers, and specialists from across the Islamic world are attending the event. The symposium comes as an extension of the strong support provided by the wise leadership in serving pilgrims and its continued commitment to developing the Hajj system.The topics of the symposium include Saudi Arabia’s efforts in developing the system of serving pilgrims over the decades, awareness discourse, and its impact on guiding pilgrims’ behavior and enhancing the quality of their experience, in addition to employing knowledge, innovation, data, and modern technologies to improve operational efficiency and anticipate the future of Hajj services.The symposium program includes a number of specialized scientific sessions, workshops, and keynote speeches. The program represents a documentary and analytical review of a half-century journey of organized knowledge work in serving Hajj. It reflects the Kingdom’s direction to transform knowledge into a fundamental part of the sustainable institutional development process for the pilgrim service ecosystem.
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