JEDDAH: Arab News took to the skies with the Royal Saudi Air Force on Friday for a bird’s-eye view of pilgrims and the measures in place for their safety and security.
The 90-minute flight took place in one of the Air Force’s VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) jets piloted by Maj. Majed Salem Al-Ghamidi.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Abduallah Al-Zahrani at the squadron's base.
The Air Force has two tasks during Hajj, Al-Ghamidi said. The first is assisting Hajj Security Forces in carrying out the security plan designed for the comfort of pilgrims, and the second is close observation of the holy sites from the air.
Our flight on Friday began at 11 a.m. and we flew over Mina, Jamarat Bridge and Makkah, including the Masjid Al-Haram and the roads leading to it. We noted a smooth flow of pilgrims on all routes, even on Jamarat Bridge and in train stations, and only limited traffic at the bus stations.
Maj. Majed Al-Ghamidi's team assist Hajj Security Forces during the pilgrimage season.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Abduallah bin Mohammed Al-Zahrani, leader of the VTOL jet squadron participating in Hajj 2017, said the Air Force played a major role in monitoring the safety of pilgrims and working with other agencies in helping them. These included the Ministry of Interior represented by Hajj Security Forces, the Ministry of Hajj and Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, who are supervising project development at the holy sites, along with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA), the Ministry of Health and guests of the Ministry of Information.
Al-Zahrani said all the participating aircraft were taking off vertically, and pilots were working around the clock.
Kingdom’s eyes in the sky help to keep Hajj pilgrims safe
Kingdom’s eyes in the sky help to keep Hajj pilgrims safe
SDAIA president says Saudi Arabia is building an integrated AI ecosystem
RIYADH: Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi says that Saudi Arabia is moving steadily to establish artificial intelligence as a trusted national capability, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Guided by the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, Al-Ghamdi said the goal is to use AI to help develop government services, enhance competitiveness, build human capacity and improve quality of life through a comprehensive strategy based on three main pillars that unlock the potential of this technology and achieve sustainable developmental impact.
“The first pillar focuses on building human capacity and enhancing readiness to engage with AI technologies,” he said.
The second pillar is building an integrated national AI ecosystem that drives expansion and innovation by developing advanced digital infrastructure that enables various sectors to adopt AI applications efficiently, consistently and with effective governance, Al-Ghamdi said.
The third pillar, he said, is governance that ensures responsible and measurable AI through a national framework aligned with international standards.
This came during Al-Ghamdi’s speech at a high-level ministerial session held on Thursday on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
He is heading the Saudi delegation, and the session saw broad participation from heads of state, decision-makers and technology leaders from around the world.
Al-Ghamdi also had a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening, discussed AI cooperation and expressed his gratitude for hosting the summit and for the hospitality extended to the participants.
