Interactive Maps, GPS Represent Advanced Digital Systems for Guidance at Grand Mosque

Makkah, In preparation for the Hajj season, the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque has provided a GPS navigation system to enhance the experience of visitors, Umrah performers, and pilgrims at the Grand Mosque. This service includes an interactive digital map service and a printed guide, which aim to improve the services that facilitate the arrival and movement of pilgrims. The interactive digital map service is designed to ease the access and navigation of those visiting the Grand Mosque. It helps identify the locations of religious rituals and prominent landmarks, including the Mataf (circumambulation) area, the Sai area, and the routes to reach them through direct navigation using the digital service. 200 QR code panels are distributed throughout the Grand Mosque, allowing pilgrims to determine their location in the sacred site and find their desired destination using their mobile phones, compatible with iOS and Android systems. The interactive digi tal map also provides access to all the facilities offered by the authority, including gates, the library, restrooms, guidance offices, manual and electric cart services, escalators, and field hospitals. The map takes into account the cultural diversity at the Grand Mosque by including several languages such as Arabic, English, French, Urdu, Indonesian, and Turkish. The general administration for survey and geographic information systems at the Grand Mosque has also provided a printed guidance manual for pilgrims, distributed manually and available in multiple languages. This system complements the printed guideboards on the walls of the Grand Mosque, assisting pilgrims in performing their worship and facilitating their movement. Source: Saudi Press Agency