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 minister orders measures to ease port congestion, speed up sugar and cement handling
- Meeting in Islamabad reviewed congestion at Port Qasim and its impact on export shipments
- Ports directed to enforce first-come, first-served berthing and penalize unnecessary delays
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Saturday directed authorities to streamline sugar and cement operations at Port Qasim after reports of severe congestion caused by the slow unloading of sugar consignments disrupted export activities.
The government has been working to ease port bottlenecks that have delayed shipments and raised logistics costs for exporters, particularly in the cement and clinker sectors. The initiative is part of a broader effort to improve operational efficiency and align port management with national trade and logistics priorities.
“Improving operational efficiency is vital to prevent port congestion, which can cause delays, raise costs, and disrupt the supply chain,” Chaudhry told a high-level meeting attended by senior officials from the maritime and commerce ministries, port authorities and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan.
The meeting was informed that sugar was being unloaded at a rate below Port Qasim’s potential capacity. The minister instructed the Port Qasim Authority to optimize discharge operations in line with its daily capacity of about 4,000 to 4,500 tons.
Participants also reviewed directives from the Prime Minister’s Office calling for up to 60 percent of sugar imports to be redirected to Gwadar Port to ease the load on Karachi terminals.
Officials said all vessels at Port Qasim and Karachi Port would now be berthed on a first-come, first-served basis, with penalties to be applied for unnecessary delays.
The TCP was told to improve operational planning and coordinate vessel arrivals more closely with port authorities.
Chaudhry commended the engagement of all participants and said consistent adherence to performance standards was essential to sustaining port efficiency and preventing a recurrence of logistical disruptions.
