The “History of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques” forum documents the journey of pilgrims through the centuries

The city of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia witnessed the launch of the activities of the “History of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques” Forum, which is organized by the King Abdulaziz Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Program for Serving the Guests of God, as part of the program accompanying the Hajj Conference and Exhibition in its fifth edition, which is held in the Super Dome Hall, over a period of three days to form a scientific and cultural platform that highlights the historical depth of the Hajj rituals and enhances the cultural image of the Kingdom, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 in the fields of culture. And tourism.

The forum activities began with a speech by Dr. Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary of the Muslim World League and member of the Supreme Supervisory Committee of the project, during which he reviewed the importance of documenting the cultural and religious history of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques, and the Kingdom’s role in developing the services provided to the guests of God throughout the ages.


The activities of the first day included a discussion session entitled “The Cultural Scene in Mecca and Medina” with the participation of Sheikh Professor Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, member of the Council of Senior Scholars and Advisor to the Royal Court, where the historical legacy of Hajj and the development of the services of the Two Holy Mosques through the ages were discussed, in addition to the Kingdom’s efforts to improve the experience of the guests of God through innovation and digital transformation.


The upcoming sessions will address crowd management, transportation, and health care across different historical stages, highlighting the development of methods for organizing Hajj throughout the ages, the challenges the Kingdom faced in providing integrated services to pilgrims, and how previous experiences contributed to improving infrastructure and logistical services. The sessions will discuss digital transformation and the use of artificial intelligence in documentation and guidance, which contributes to developing innovative systems for tracking crowds and managing the pilgrims’ experience more accurately and efficiently.


The sessions also review the presence of Hajj in the writings of travelers and historical blogs, while analyzing its impact on understanding the development of rituals and services provided to pilgrims over the centuries, with the participation of an elite group of specialists and researchers in the fields of history, service techniques and modern management, who provide scientific and practical insights that highlight the combination of historical heritage and modern technologies to develop the experience of the guests of God.


The forum provides visitors with the opportunity to interact directly with the accompanying exhibition, which presents a unique collection of rare historical documents, manuscripts and photographs, in addition to archaeological collectibles that witnessed the Hajj journey over the centuries. Through digital technologies and interactive displays, the exhibition allows visitors to explore the holy sites and experience the stages of development of services provided to pilgrims and Umrah pilgrims in innovative ways.

This exhibition reflects the Kingdom’s great efforts in preserving the historical legacy of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques. It also highlights the Kingdom’s position as a global civilizational and cultural hub, a major center for documenting the authentic Islamic experience, and embodies its commitment to providing a rich educational experience for citizens and visitors from all over the world.

The exhibition accompanying the forum, which opened on November 9, continues to provide an interactive experience covering more than a hundred years of the history of Hajj, through rare documents, original photographs, manuscripts and archaeological collectibles, in addition to innovative digital displays that allow visitors to explore the holy feelings in new ways.