King Abdulaziz Foundation, known as Darah, held the first edition of its forum on the “History of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques,” convened as part of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition 2025 at Jeddah Superdome. The event was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Guests of God Service Program, from Nov. 9–12.
Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, special adviser to the custodian of the two holy mosques and chairman of the board of directors of the King Abdulaziz Foundation, declared the launch of the forum during the opening ceremony of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition 2025.
The forum was referenced by the Council of Ministers during its session on Nov. 11, as part of broader national efforts related to the service of the two holy mosques. Additionally, the King Abdulaziz Foundation’s pavilion was included among the pavilions acknowledged at the conference and exhibition.
The opening session of the forum featured addresses by Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa and Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah.
The forum was an extension of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to document the rituals of Hajj and to serve the two holy mosques. Its objectives were to highlight the Kingdom’s historical and organizational efforts for the two holy mosques and serving the guests of God; to trace the development of the Hajj journey throughout the Islamic history and across various civilizations; to document the architectural and artistic transformations of the two holy mosques particularly in the Saudi era; to support specialized scientific research on issues related to Hajj and the two holy mosques and enhance interdisciplinary knowledge integration; to develop modern methodologies for documenting this history and presenting it through digital media; and to transform the forum’s outputs into knowledge-based and cultural content that can be utilized in education and the media.
The forum addressed five main themes that encompassed the various historical, cultural, and urban dimensions of Hajj and the two holy mosques. These include: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Service of the Two Holy Mosques, Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques in Historical Records and Travel Literature, The Two Holy Mosques: Architecture and Visual Identity, Hajj in Culture and Social Memory, and Modern Technologies and the Documentation of Hajj. More than 50 speakers including historians, researchers, and specialists explored these themes across 12 scientific sessions.
As part of the forum’s activities, an accompanying exhibition, titled “One Hundred Years of Caring for the Two Holy Mosques,” presented the historical development of the Hajj journey from 1925 to the present day. The exhibition featured rare historical photographs and films, in addition to artifacts, documents, manuscripts, and maps.
The forum also highlighted the King Abdulaziz Foundation’s role in documenting aspects of the nation’s history and that of the Arab and Islamic worlds, as well as its work related to the historical record of the two holy mosques. These efforts were carried out by various teams across the foundation under the supervision of its Chief Executive Officer Turki bin Mohammed Al-Shuwaier.
