Riyadh: The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) participates as a digital enabler in the "Makkah Route" initiative, which is among the Ministry of Interior's initiatives within the Pilgrim Experience Program – one of Saudi Vision 2030 programs.

The Ministry of the Interior is implementing the Makkah Route initiative for the year 1444 AH in seven countries: Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Côte d'Ivoire.

Such efforts come within the framework of the unrivalled support the SDAIA receives from HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SDAIA, to enable it to play its role in advancing the fields of data and AI, stimulating their growth, and making use of them.

The efforts also come within SDAIA’s endeavors to provide capabilities related to data and forward-looking capabilities, enhance them with continuous innovation in the field of AI, and harness them to serve the state sectors and support digital transformation.

This comes in addition to strengthening cooperation efforts between the state sectors to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, including the Pilgrim Experience Program.

SDAIA is integrated in its roles with the rest of the government agencies working within the Makkah Route initiative, through the National Information Center (NIC), which is working on developing a set of highly specific technical systems.

The SDAIA team includes a group of engineers and technicians who work in the airports of the above-mentioned countries around the clock to connect, activate and operate workstations equipped with the latest related technologies that facilitate the completion of procedures for pilgrims in record time.