The Sustainable Solutions for pilgrims challenge
January 15th, 2025
Rajab 15th, 1446
Hajj and Umrah Conference and Exhibition, Superdome, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
We, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, having been honored by serving the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors, have dedicated ourselves, our resources, and the efforts of the leadership, the government and the people for the sake of the comfort of pilgrims and the insurance of their safety and security.
The words of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al–Saud, to
pilgrims (1436-2015)
Sustainable Solutions for pilgrims challenge
It is a platform for entrepreneurs and innovators to create sustainable solutions aimed at serving the guests of God and finding solutions
Sustainable solutions to address the challenges facing pilgrims during their visit.
The Objectives of the Challenge
The Stages of the Challenge
The Sustainable Solutions for Pilgrims Challenge is a learning journey where participants can build a real entrepreneurial project through several stages.
December 24-27
Virtual mentorship and guidance sessions
December 29
Selecting teams eligible for the first presentation stage
December 31
The first virtual arbitration day for teams
January 1-4
One-on-one team interviews
January 6-7
Training on presentation and showcasing skills at UBT university
January 9-11
Showcasing projects at Expo Hajj and Umrah Exhibition
January 11
Discussion session, closing ceremony, and awards distribution.
27 October
The promotional campaign for the Sustainable Solutions For Pilgrims Challenge (Second Edition) has begun.
27 October - 15 November
Registration phase opens for participants
5 - 8 November
Virtual Orientation Session on the challenge and paths
9 November
Opening ceremony
15 - 21 November
Selection and announcement of the qualifiers for the first stage
24 November - 5 December
Training and mentoring sessions for teams participating in the first phase
8 - 11 December
First stage judging for teams
12 December
Announcement of the teams qualified for the final stage
13 - 14 January
Training and coaching sessions for the final presentation
15 January
Final presentation of the teams
Challenge Category
Contact and communication
Improving communication and contact systems in the holy sites, including providing real-time information to pilgrims and enhancing the digital Hajj experience, including guidance and direction, lost and found items, lost persons, awareness, internal and external media communication, and enhancing knowledge culture. The following tracks include:
- Guidance and Counseling: This track focuses on guidance and counseling for the guests of Allah
- Customer Knowledge: This track focuses on the extent of the guest’s ability to communicate with the service provider
- Knowledge Transfer and Consolidation: This track focuses on awareness and knowledge transfer to the guests of Allah
- Lost and Found: This track focuses on the services provided for lost and found
- Reports and Complaints: This track focuses on the effectiveness of receiving and responding to complaints and reports by achieving cognitive alignment and governance
Infrastructure
Developing innovative solutions to improve Hajj and Umrah infrastructure, including roads, public facilities, and crowd management, including basic infrastructure elements such as communications, telephones, electricity, water, sewage, and other components. Infrastructure Pathways:
- Network and Communications: This track focuses on building and maintaining infrastructure of communication networks and internet systems including wired and wireless networks.
- Electricity: This track focuses on electrical systems for infrastructure and includes supplying electrical power to buildings and facilities and maintaining electrical systems.
- Water and Sanitation: This track focuses on designing and building water supply systems and sewage systems and includes directing water and disposing of wastewater.
- Site Preparation: This track focuses on preparing the sites of the holy sites before the Hajj season by preparing camps and handing them over to service providers.
- Road Construction and Construction: This track focuses on building roads and paths and includes design, planning and implementation
Nesk card
This category aims to provide innovative solutions to develop and facilitate the experience of pilgrims and Umrah performers using the latest technologies. The challenge category revolves around improving the services of the “Nusuk Card” by adding smart features that help pilgrims manage their journey effectively and smoothly, starting from transportation, reservations, and logistics services, to facilitating electronic payment processes, and ensuring a safe and efficient experience during the performance of rituals. This category seeks to attract solutions that enhance sustainability, operational efficiency, and improve the experience of the guests of God in a way that keeps pace with rapid technological developments.
People with special needs
Developing solutions that facilitate access for people with special needs to the holy sites and providing comprehensive services that ensure a comfortable and convenient experience for them, including people with physical or mental disabilities, and the elderly who may need special care and service during their journey to perform Hajj or Umrah. The paths include:
- Language and Translation: This track focuses on language and translation services that meet the needs of the guests of Allah with special needs
- Mobility and Movement: This track focuses on facilitating and improving the access of the guests of Allah with special needs to various places and communities and ensuring their freedom of movement
- Health Care: This track focuses on medical and health services for the guests of Allah with the aim of maintaining their health and improving the quality of their performance of rituals
Health, Safety and Environment
Innovating solutions to enhance the health and safety of pilgrims, including waste management, medical services, and improving environmental sustainability during the Hajj season, and includes challenges related to the health and safety of the guests of God while performing the Hajj and Umrah rituals. This includes providing healthcare, ensuring safety and security. The tracks include:
- Cleanliness: This track focuses on cleaning public facilities, toilets, and behaviors that cause uncleanliness.
- Healthcare: This track focuses on medical and health services for the guests of God with the aim of maintaining their health and improving the quality of their performance of rituals.
- Security and Safety: This track focuses on ensuring and enhancing safety and maintaining security in various aspects and areas.
Comprehensive Services and Tourism Experience
Providing integrated solutions to improve accommodation and food services while providing an educational tourism experience to enhance the cultural and religious knowledge of pilgrims, in addition to focusing on a more comprehensive tourism industry and providing opportunities to enjoy tourist sites for all people with different abilities and needs.
Holy Sites
Developing solutions that focus on protecting and maintaining the Holy Sites, taking into account crowd management and providing a safe and sustainable religious environment, and including all challenges related to the Holy Sites such as housing and accommodation, crowd management, cleanliness, maintenance, and the use of vehicle transportation.
The Holy Sites Paths:
- Site Allocation: This track focuses on the work of allocating sites for camps in the holy sites for service providers
- Transportation and Crowd Management: Focuses on organizing and providing transportation for pilgrims and Umrah performers to and from the sites of throwing stones, circumambulation, and other holy sites
- Overnighting in the holy sites: This track focuses on the services provided in the holy sites, including housing, food, and personal needs
- Logistics: This track focuses on the work of logistics services for products and services provided to the guests of God
The Categories of the Challenge
Health Care & Accommodation
The healthcare and subsistence track in the Hajj and Umrah challenge acts as a vital aspect to improve the experience of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims during their religious journey. This track focuses on providing innovative and effective solutions to healthcare and subsistence challenges, so that pilgrims and Umrah performers can get the best experience.
The track requires participants to interact with multiple aspects, from improving healthcare services and providing solutions to subsistence challenges that are suitable for Hajj and Umrah conditions. Using innovation and technology, participants in this track will design and implement advanced solutions that enhance the healthcare and subsistence experience for Hajj and Umrah visitors, reflecting their commitment to improving the services and conditions that guests face during their religious journey.
Transportation
The Hajj and Umrah mobility and movement track is aimed at improving and facilitating mobility aspects for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims during their religious ceremonies. This challenge requires participants to develop innovative solutions to facilitate and improve movement within the holy sites and ensure the safety and comfort of guests on the move. This track allows participants to analyze potential challenges and create sustainable and effective methods to enhance the overall Hajj and Umrah experience.
Guidance Content & Experience enhancing
The tourism and guidelines content track of the Hajj and Umrah challenge reflects a significant role in developing the experience of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. It focuses on providing innovative solutions to improve tourism and provide high-quality guiding content.
This track allows participants to understand the challenges that Hajj and Umrah visitors may face in terms of tourism and guidance, including improving the delivery of tourism information, providing advanced and diverse mentorship that contributes to a deeper understanding of the holy sites and their history.
Through innovation and technology, participants in this track design and implement applications and services that contribute to improving the tourism experience and providing rich and effective guidance content to Hajj and Umrah visitors, which enhances the overall understanding of the Holy Places and contributes to enriching their spiritual journey.
The Categories of the Challenge
Health Care & Accommodation
- The health care and subsistence path is one of the necessary paths that serves pilgrims and Umrah pilgrims and maintains the protection of the Kingdom of Arabia Saudi Arabia.
- This path aims to innovate sustainable solutions, so that The guests of God are able to receive the best visit.
Transportation
- This path aims to facilitate the movement of visitors while performing the religious obligation Hajj or Umrah.
- This path requires creating effective ways to facilitate movements while maintaining On comfort and safety.
Guidance Content & Experience enhancing
- The tourism path is the path responsible for enhancing the Hajj and Umrah experience Through a comprehensive clarification of the holy places
The Tracks of the Challenge
Startups
The challenge targets advanced start-ups that are ready to work on finding solutions to a variety of challenges facing Hajj and Umrah visitors during their journey.
Innovators
It targets people who have innovative and sustainable ideas that are still in the post idea stage to serve the pilgrims during their visit, and need guidance and direction to implement them.
Why Join the Challenge?
- Serving the pilgrims – facilitating their visit
- Direct communication with a number of experts and innovators
- The opportunity to attend the Hajj and Umrah Services Conference and Exhibition
- The opportunity to be embraced by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah or sponsors.
- Winning financial prizes
Official Partner
Strategic Partners
Golden Sponsor
Technology Partners
Golden Sponsor
Innovation Partners
