MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development significantly contributed to this year’s Hajj season (1446 AH) by providing a suite of digital services designed to streamline procedures, overcome challenges, and elevate service quality for pilgrims.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), these efforts were coordinated with various government agencies across the holy sites.

At the forefront of these initiatives was the ministry’s electronic application, offering 24/7 services for both individuals and businesses. These included reporting labour violations, accessing family counselling, and a rapid donation service.

The Mowaamah application specifically caters to people with disabilities, providing services such as sign language translation, communication with a visual assistant for the blind, identification of accessible locations, and video communication tools for clear explanations of emergencies, boosting specialist response times.

Furthermore, the Ajeer Al-Hajj platform, launched by the ministry to organise the seasonal labour market, achieved remarkable success. This platform enables establishments to engage national and seasonal contract workers, effectively enhancing the quality of pilgrim services.

By mid-season, over 40,000 permits were issued through the platform, with 3,185 contracting establishments and a total of 39,766 workers, demonstrating its effectiveness in meeting seasonal labour demands and providing essential competencies for pilgrim service entities.