MAKKAH: In a display of the care Saudi Arabia lavishes on pilgrims, the General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque expanded its services this year at the Grand Mosque for elderly pilgrims and those with disabilities, drawing on a combination of on-site facilities and smart technology. The goal is to allow them to perform rituals with ease and reassurance, in surroundings designed around their human, medical, and mobility needs.
In a statement to Arab News, the authority said its operating plans for this year’s Hajj centered on improving the quality of service for these groups by setting aside suitable gates, elevators, and prayer areas, supplying free electric carts, and assigning teams of male and female volunteers to help with movement and offer guidance directly inside the mosque and its courtyards.
That effort, the authority noted, went beyond the practical on-the-ground measures to include modern and smart tools for easing movement and access. Digital screens and interactive maps were placed throughout the mosque and its courtyards to steer elderly and disabled worshippers swiftly and simply to the locations, services, and routes best suited to them.
During peak hours, the authority said, it laid on dedicated operating routes to keep these groups safe and moving freely. One of the most prominent runs — from the arrival point at Shi’b Amer through to Bab Al-Fath (the Gate of Conquest) — has a range of support along the way: volunteers pushing manual carts, special directional signs for people with disabilities, white canes for the blind, sign-language interpreters, and a volunteer medical team on call around the clock for emergencies and health needs.
That route, the authority said, links straight to the prayer areas of the King Abdullah Expansion — including the women's prayer area at Gate 166 and the men’s at Gate 165 — alongside separate routes for the circumambulation (tawaf) on the first floor and for sa’i on the relevant levels. The arrangement is meant to keep people moving, thin out crowding, and deliver the highest possible standard of safety and comfort.
On the support side, the authority said it had stationed the mosque’s electric carts in the northern plaza, running from the Jarwal tunnel to the King Abdullah Gate, with additional electric carts reserved for tawaf and sa’i. Volunteers and guides fluent in several world languages provide on-site escorts, and sign-language interpretation is on hand for worshippers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Ahmed Al-Sayed, an elderly Egyptian pilgrim, voiced his gratitude for what he found inside the Grand Mosque.
“From the moment I arrived, there were volunteers ready to help me move around,” he told Arab News. “The routes were clear and easy to follow, the electric carts saved us an enormous amount of effort, and I felt a genuine sense of care for elderly and disabled pilgrims.” He paused, then added: “This year was completely different from before.”
To gauge worshipper satisfaction, the authority said, it uses field and online surveys, the direct tracking of comments and complaints, and specialized field-observation teams that measure the quality of service and the speed of response.
Looking ahead, the authority confirmed it is continuing to expand dedicated pathways and on-site facilities, develop multilingual digital guidance systems, strengthen services for the hearing and visually impaired, and use crowd analytics technology to further improve movement and service delivery at both holy mosques.
All of it, the authority noted, is aligned with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030 and its aim of raising the standard of care for pilgrims.
