RIYADH: Two initiatives by Nusuk — the pilgrim card and wallet — are helping to improve the Hajj and Umrah experience for pilgrims.
Nusuk, the official booking platform authorized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for e-visa and planning, allows travelers to create pilgrimage itineraries for Makkah, Madinah and beyond.
Through the pilgrim card — an identity card worn around the neck — Hajj workers are able to verify the identity of each pilgrim, preventing unauthorized people from entering the holy sites.
The Nusuk wallet allows pilgrims to manage their money, while using encryption technology for security. (Supplied)
Zahra Aleid, a Saudi pilgrim, told Arab News: “It (Nusuk card) is a very important aspect of Hajj, especially with the crowds. It is very common for people to lose their family or the people they came with. So, with this card people or security guards can help find your family using the information on the card.”
Aleid's experience of Hajj was a success, she arrived with a group of pilgrims from the Municipality of Qatif with Masar Batool, a travel service company.
“I am very grateful to be here. I wanted to come to Makkah for a very long time, I love this place ... I wanted to come to Umrah, but I am here now. Thank God I am in Hajj,” she said.
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Through the Nusuk pilgrim card — an identity card worn around the neck — Hajj workers are able to verify the identity of each pilgrim, preventing unauthorized people from entering the holy sites.
A video that recently went viral on social media showed the effectiveness of the Nusuk card when a group of Saudi men were able to help a lost Nigerian pilgrim who was found wandering the streets of Makkah. After scanning his Nusuk card, the locals were able to identify the hotel he was staying at and drove him there in safety.
A muslim pilgrim takes a video with his mobile phone while others circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand mosque ahead of annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah. (REUTERS file photo)
Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, reposted the video on his official X account to highlight Saudi “hospitality, generosity, solidarity, and cooperation.” The minister continued: “Thank you to these young people for their help … here the value of Nusuk appears, which contains detailed data for each pilgrim.”
The ministry also, in cooperation with the Saudi National Bank, launched an international digital wallet for Umrah and Hajj pilgrims.
The Nusuk wallet allows pilgrims to manage their money, while using encryption technology for security.
In a previous report by the Saudi Press Agency, Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Maiman, the director of digital experience at the ministry, said: “It is the first digital wallet and international bank card in the world, allowing Hajj pilgrims and Umrah performers to manage their money during the period of their stay for performing rituals. Following this move, we have become closer to achieving our goal of developing a successful super-app that meets pilgrim’s needs.”
He said that the wallet addresses the needs of users and is integrated with the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence, encryption and biometric identity verification, in addition to advanced technologies such as API (application programming interface) and integrated SDK (software development kit).
“It is also the first open loop digital wallet embedded within an application in the world, designed to enable Hajj pilgrims and Umrah performers to manage their money,” he added.
Saleh Al-Furaih, CEO of SNB’s digital ventures and payments, said the service complies with Saudi Central Bank regulations, which guarantees financial security.
