RIYADH: For many Umrah pilgrims arriving in Makkah, religious guidance is only a scan away.

From hotel prayer rooms overlooking the Grand Mosque to mosques across the holy city’s outskirts, digital screens are becoming an increasingly familiar part of the pilgrimage journey, providing worshippers with instant access to religious advice, educational material and practical guidance in multiple languages.

During the first quarter of the 1448 AH Umrah season, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance delivered more than 3.3 million awareness messages in nine languages, reaching about 225,000 beneficiaries as part of efforts to enhance pilgrims’ spiritual experience and help them perform their rituals correctly.

The messages were displayed on electronic screens installed in hotel prayer halls around the Grand Mosque and in mosques outside Makkah’s sacred boundary, providing step-by-step guidance on Umrah rites, religious practices and worship, as well as information aimed at helping pilgrims comply with regulations and safety procedures.

The screens also serve as gateways to a wider digital library. Through QR codes, worshippers can instantly access religious books, educational resources and guidance materials in their preferred language.

The initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader effort to blend traditional religious services with modern technology, making information more accessible to the millions of pilgrims who travel to the Kingdom from around the world each year.

Beyond the digital displays, the ministry also operates a multilingual toll-free service through which pilgrims can seek guidance on Umrah rituals and other religious matters from qualified specialists.

The project forms part of a wider digital transformation taking place across the pilgrimage sector under Vision 2030’s Pilgrim Experience Program, which aims to improve services and enrich the journey of visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.

That transformation is increasingly visible across every stage of the pilgrim experience. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s Nusuk platform now provides more than 130 services to users worldwide, while its AI-powered assistant offers religious and practical guidance in more than 180 languages.

As Saudi Arabia continues to expand its digital infrastructure, officials say technology is helping ensure that pilgrims, regardless of nationality or language, can access the guidance they need throughout their spiritual journey, often with nothing more than a smartphone and a quick scan.