MAKKAH: The General Authority for Statistics is using a comprehensive high-tech system to update the Hajj statistics program.
Four-hundred statisticians at six facilities in Makkah and three support centers in Madinah, Jeddah and Taif, work with a safe high-tech online network to provide the main centers in Makkah and Riyadh with an immediate flow of data.
Hajj data is updated every six hours through the Hajj interactive statistical map on the authority’s official website www.stats.gov.sa
The authority’s data technique agent, Khaled Al-Dalkan, said the authority is working on a regular and continuous basis to develop methods, approaches and programming techniques to collect, process, analyze and publish data to achieve comprehensive, immediate and credible information. The authority also uses high-tech techniques that help reduce the time and spatial dimensions that might hamper the speed of processing and publishing data.
He also talked about a new technique using software to collect data through an online form to keep track of the daily total number of Hajjis, classified by their nationalities, time and place of arrival and vehicle types. All statisticians in Makkah are trained to use the new techniques, he added.
Al-Dalkan stated that the authority designated a technical team to work around the clock which includes a support team, an analytic team, as well as a team specialized in developing data collection, and monitoring all remarks and demands of field teams.
He also said that an interactive map of Hajj statistics was added this year and that anyone can check number of pilgrims arriving in Makkah, with an update every sixhours.
Kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics using high-tech system to mine and update Hajj data
Kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics using high-tech system to mine and update Hajj data
Experimental farm in Al-Lith looks into future of Saudi Arabian agriculture
- Research initiative reflects strategic transformation
JEDDAH: An experimental farm in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Lith Governorate is one of the research initiatives reflecting the strategic transformation taking place in the Kingdom’s agricultural sector.
The farm uses highly efficient, sustainable production models that combine scientific research with commercial application, contributing to strengthening the country’s food security system and the sustainability of water resources.
Located in the Ghumaiqa Center on an area of about 10 hectares, the cutting-edge farm is a testing platform for modern agricultural technologies that tackle the challenge of water scarcity.
The farm includes developed open fields and modern greenhouses, supported by smart irrigation encompassing drip and sprinkler irrigation alongside surface and subsurface technologies.
All the systems operate via smart controls that enable the monitoring of water consumption and ensure improved efficiency, thereby achieving a balance between agricultural production and water conservation.
The farm also uses treated and diluted low-salinity seawater.
It aims to diversify agricultural water sources, reduce reliance on freshwater, and open new horizons for agriculture in coastal and semi-arid environments.
The project represents a promising investment opportunity in the field of smart agriculture, enabling the development of commercially scalable production models, particularly for high-value vegetables and fruits, while reducing operational costs associated with water and energy, enhancing the economic feasibility of future agricultural projects.
In addition, the project contributes to transferring and localizing agricultural expertise, supporting local food supply chains, and creating an attractive environment for agricultural investment.
This aligns with Sustainable Development Goals and enhances the efficiency of the private sector in adopting innovative agricultural solutions.
Yahya bin Abdulrahman Al-Mahabi, the director of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture office in Al-Lith Governorate, told the Saudi Press Agency that the project represented the future of agriculture in the Kingdom.
He explained that the vision was based on investing in technology, enhancing the return on water per unit, and integrating scientific research with investment opportunities.
Al-Mahabi spoke of the experimental farm as a modern, scalable and replicable model applicable in several regions of the Kingdom, particularly in coastal environments.
Al-Mahabi highlighted the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s commitment to supporting distinctive projects that contributed to achieving food security while developing rural areas and enhancing agricultural production efficiency, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
