Madinah, The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Pilgrim Experience Program are holding the first edition of the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum between April 22 and 24 at King Salman International Convention Center.
The forum is held under the aegis of Governor of Madinah Region Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz who stressed that the wise leadership has given Hajj and Umrah services the prosperous era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
The Madinah governor said that ‘the great honor bestowed by God on this country is a source of pride for all of us, and motivates us to improve the level of services provided to the guests of God, to search for ideas and conduct studies that would advance the Umrah and visit sector and provide maximum comfort for the guests of God, and enrich the visitor’s experience of these holy places from their arrival until their departure from the Kingdom’s lands’.
The governor said that the forum is an opportunity for specialists to communic
ate and exchange experience in the course of dialogue sessions and discussion panels, and come up and recommendations that contribute to enriching the visitors’ experience.
He also expressed hope that the forum will have positive outcomes and thanked Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and ministry employees for organizing the forum.
Prince Salman also visited the exhibition held in parallel with the forum and which houses more than 100 pavilions showcasing the services offered by tourism and travel companies and Umrah agencies, academic and research institutions, small and medium enterprises and service developers, and related sectors, like hospitality, catering, transportation, services sector, healthcare, technology, communications, artificial intelligence, banking, and insurance companies.
Al-Rabiah also delivered a speech at the forum, highlighting the special interest shown by the wise leadership to the two holy mosques and their visitors, and its close monitoring of everything related to
them.
Most important in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, Al-Rabiah said, is the Pilgrim Experience Program, as the two holy mosques are expected to witness the influx of millions of worshippers and visitors, the largest gathering in one place, which needs to be managed by security personnel from the Ministry of Interior and from the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in a complex situation.
One of the main goals, he added, is for the Pilgrim Experience Program to enrich the visitors’ experience. The forum, he said, is a comprehensive platform where the 180 speakers from the Kingdom and abroad have the opportunity to discuss ways to improve this experience.
Al-Rabiah pointed out that over the past two years, more than 19 million visited Al-Rawda Al-Sharifa, as well as a large number of unique historical sites linked to the life of the Prophet Muhammed in Makkah and Madinah, where many historical sites have been rehabilitated.
A documentary about Madinah, an
essential component of the Umrah experience that adds a cultural and enriching dimension, was shown at the forum.
Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili, the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to France and the Principality of Monaco and permanent representative of the Kingdom to UNESCO, also gave a speech about the role of historical and cultural sites and how they enrich visitors’ experience.
The opening ceremony ended with the signing of a number of agreements concerning Umrah and visits to the Kingdom.
The forum consists of six dialogue sessions and 24 workshops in which 29 experts and specialists take part. It also includes several competitions, including the Artificial Intelligence Competition in Umrah and a hackathon on historical sites related to the Prophet’s life.
Source: Saudi Press Agency