Umrah season in Ramadan is back to its peak

As we observe Ramadan, performing Umrah is one of the holy month’s main rituals. Saudi Arabia has assumed a prominent place in the world and has become synonymous with hospitality and a warm welcome to all Muslims.

According to the latest statistics, as of last week, the number of visitors performing Umrah has exceeded the 10 million mark. This number is expected to increase significantly during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saudi Government has taken major steps to enhance the Hajj and Umrah experience. Firstly, Tawfig Al-Rabiah was appointed minister of Hajj and Umrah after his sterling success as minister of health. Many of us believe that his appointment was in recognition of his record during COVID-19, with the aim to repeat it with his new portfolio.

Another major step in enhancing the Umrah experience is to apply digital transformation and artificial intelligence to play an active role in the mobility of worshipers and visitors to holy sites. The newly-introduced AI technologies around the mosques have been helping to control crowds, ensuring that the right number of people are present anywhere around the sites at any given time. AI will be a game-changer for the ease and convenience of crowd mobility, which will reduce risks of unfortunate accidents or stampedes.

The most remarkable new rule and enhancement has been giving women the ability to perform Umrah without the company of a male relative or guardian.

One enhancement to the Umrah experience was the management and care of children. With the influx of children joining their parents, the Agency for Women’s Social, Voluntary and Humanitarian Services has launched an initiative to provide each child with a bracelet with personal information in case they get lost. The bracelet will list the child’s name, relevant data, and their accompanying adult’s contact information.

But the most remarkable new rule and enhancement has been giving women the ability to perform Umrah without the company of a mahram (male relative or guardian). Moreover, surveillance cameras are obligatory in vital areas, including airports, border crossings, the Grand Mosque, and the Prophet’s Mosque, to ensure women’s safety while performing pilgrimages.

From business and investment standpoints, with millions of visitors and worshipers performing Umrah this Ramadan, all supply chain providers of services, including transportation, catering, and accommodation, are enjoying great recoveries for their businesses, exceeding their peaks before the COVID-19 era.

Basil M.K. Al-Ghalayini is the chairman and CEO of BMG Financial Group.