JEDDAH: Hajj authorities have launched two interactive apps to help pilgrims, with a range of services on smart devices including help in finding emergency service centers, holy sites, currency exchanges, restaurants and accommodation.
Available in nine languages including English, Urdu and French, the Manasikana app was launched by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in cooperation with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. It provides geographical coordinates to pinpoint exact locations in Makkah, Madinah and other cities, even without an Internet connection.
Holy sites in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa, plus mosques, restaurants and toilets are among places highlighted on the app, which has already been downloaded more than 10,000 times.
Prayers for different Hajj rituals are also available, with detailed guides and dos and don’ts on performing the pilgrimage.
The Saudi Post’s app for pilgrims, the Hajj and Umrah Navigator, features maps giving directions to holy places in Makkah and Madinah. Pilgrims can input addresses, services, camp numbers or the names of Hajj companies to search for information in 16 languages.
The navigator can also find faster routes between busy centers and offers other information such as directions to the Kaaba, weather forecasts and prayer times.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior’s traffic police department for Hajj has also developed an app for organizers planning vehicle movements during peak periods. It is constantly updated to cover all types of transport.
Saudi agencies launch Hajj apps supporting Urdu, other languages
Saudi agencies launch Hajj apps supporting Urdu, other languages
- The app is available in nine languages
- Pakistan also launched four smartphone apps to facilitate Hajj pilgrims
Pakistan, Türkiye military chiefs discuss defense cooperation amid Middle East tensions
- Field Marshal Asim Munir reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to deepening military-to-military ties with Türkiye
- Turkish officials said this month they were in talks to join the Pakistan-Saudi defense alliance formed last year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commander, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met the Chief of the Turkish General Staff, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, on Friday to discuss deepening defense cooperation, as regional security concerns intensify amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of widening geopolitical uncertainty following the Gaza war, which has heightened the risk of broader regional escalation involving Iran and the United States, and as Ankara explores closer defense coordination with partners beyond NATO.
Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye was in talks to join a defense alliance established between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last September, signaling a possible expansion of security cooperation among key regional players.
The Turkish general called on Pakistan’s chief of defense forces at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, according to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“During the meeting, besides dilating upon matters of mutual interest, prevailing regional and global security landscape, and prospects for strengthening bilateral defense and military cooperation were also discussed,” the ISPR said in a statement.
It added that both sides “expressed satisfaction on current trajectory of Pakistan-Türkiye relations while underscoring the requirement of maintaining close coordination and enhancing defense collaboration.”
Munir welcomed the support of the Turkish Armed Forces and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening military-to-military ties, according to the statement.
It said that Bayraktaroglu praised the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and expressed Türkiye’s intent to deepen defense cooperation through training, joint exercises and capacity-building initiatives.
Pakistan and Türkiye maintain close diplomatic, economic and defense relations, with military cooperation forming a major pillar of their partnership.
Last month, a high-level delegation of Turkish aerospace and defense manufacturers visited Pakistan to explore joint ventures, co-production and technology-sharing opportunities. In August 2025, the navies of both countries conducted their first bilateral amphibious exercise to strengthen maritime coordination.
Turkish defense firms have played a key role in modernizing Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and have supplied Islamabad with advanced military hardware, including drones.
The two countries also regularly conduct joint military drills. Their most recent exercise, Ataturk-XIII in February 2025, brought together special forces units for combat training aimed at improving their ability to operate effectively together in the field.
