Saudis launch 'hajj smart card'
The card will help authorities regulate entry into holy sites during the Islamic pilgrimage as well as crack down on illegal entry.
Saudi authorities have created a new digital system for hajj pilgrims, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s so-called “hajj smart card” can be scanned at self-service devices at Muslim pilgrimage sites. The card stores personal information, identifies gathering points and departure times for holy site visits, dispatches notifications from authorities and allows holders to order meals. The purposes of the card include “reducing illegal hajj” and controlling entry to the holy sites, according to the agency.
The hajj is an annual pilgrimage Muslims from around the world make to Mecca, Saudi Arabia — the holiest city in islam. It includes visits to the Kaaba, which Muslims believe was built by the prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael. The Umrah pilgrimage is also to Mecca, but can be done at any time throughout the year. Going on the hajj at least once is a religious commandment for Muslims.
Pilgrims sometimes illegally enter Mecca. Authorities fined 52 people last week for allegedly attempting to enter the holy city without a permit, according to the Saudi Gazette news outlet.
