Saudi Arabia launches visa app for Hajj, Umrah pilgrims in UK

Saudi Arabia launches visa app for Hajj, Umrah pilgrims in UK. (SPA)
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Updated 18 March 2022
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Saudi Arabia launches visa app for Hajj, Umrah pilgrims in UK

  • Saudi Arabia is the first country in the world to allow registration of biometrics via smartphones for the issuance of electronic visas

LONDON: A new smartphone app that makes it easy for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to apply for visas to enter Saudi Arabia is now available in the UK.

The Saudi Visa Bio app allows applicants to register their biometric data prior to travel and saves them having to visit visa issuance centers. On arrival in the Kingdom, they will only have to match their data with the information stored on the app, which speeds up the border control process.

The app was launched last year by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and is in line with the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to offer the best possible services and facilities for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia is the first country in the world to allow registration of biometrics via smartphones for the issuance of electronic visas.

The service was developed in cooperation with several government agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Presidency of State Security, the National Cybersecurity Authority, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

A launch ceremony was held in the presence of Saudi Deputy Ambassador to the UK Hassan Al-Jamee’ and the Head of the Consular Department at the Saudi Embassy Ammar Al-Ammar.

 


Riyadh forum to discuss AI impact on education, jobs

The conference aims to redefine work and human capacity building to meet future labor market demands. (SPA)
Updated 12 January 2026
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Riyadh forum to discuss AI impact on education, jobs

  • The exhibition will give young people direct access to educational, training, career, and technological opportunities while enabling them to learn from leading local and international experiences to shape their future careers

RIYADH: Experts from more than 50 international and local organizations in education, employment, and artificial intelligence will gather in Riyadh from Jan. 28-29 for the International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building to explore the future of education during rapid AI advances.

Discussions will examine how AI is transforming work, its implications for current and future generations, and the new opportunities it creates, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Organized by the Saudi Data and AI Authority, the conference aims to redefine work and human capacity building to meet future labor market demands.

Participants will present practical solutions for empowering young people with AI skills, integrating AI into education, and aligning learning outcomes with the most in-demand future skills locally and globally.

By addressing AI’s evolving impact on the job market, the conference offers academics, AI and data professionals, policymakers, and students a platform to exchange insights and explore the latest innovations for societal benefit and national development.

An accompanying exhibition will highlight cutting-edge educational and digital transformation solutions from public and private sector organizations.

The exhibition will give young people direct access to educational, training, career, and technological opportunities while enabling them to learn from leading local and international experiences to shape their future careers.