Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and on his behalf, the Emir of the Madinah Region, Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, inaugurated the 25th Scientific Forum for Hajj, Umrah, and Ziyarah Research. The event is organized by Umm Al-Qura University through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research, under the theme “Innovation and Sustainability in Serving the Guests of Allah,” held at the King Salman International Conference Center.

Prince Salman bin Sultan expressed his gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, for their generous care of the Two Holy Mosques and their continuous attention to the affairs of their visitors, stressing their ongoing efforts to enhance the service system and integrate efforts to facilitate pilgrims’ rituals with ease and tranquility.

He pointed out that the forum comes as an extension of the qualitative development witnessed by the Kingdom in the Hajj, Umrah, and Ziyarah system, within the objectives of Vision 2030, which has made the Guests of Allah Service Program a key axis in its continuous journey to serve Islam and Muslims.

During his tour of the accompanying exhibition, which includes participation from more than 50 entities, the Emir reviewed the latest innovations and technologies in the Hajj, Umrah, and Ziyarah sector, in addition to a variety of services and initiatives provided by government, private, and non-profit organizations to serve the Guests of Allah.

At the ceremony, attendees watched a visual presentation about the forum, followed by a speech from the President of Umm Al-Qura University, Dr. Maadi bin Mohammed Al-Madhhab, who explained that the forum held in Madinah includes elite researchers and specialists, featuring workshops, scientific sessions, 47 scientific posters, 30 innovative projects, and more than 60 scientific papers, contributed to by over 60 government, private, and non-profit entities. He noted that Vision 2030 and the Guests of Allah Service Program embody the state’s interest through strategic plans, programs, and qualitative services aimed at making the experience of pilgrims, Umrah performers, and visitors more profound and of higher quality from arrival until departure, in a comprehensive spiritual journey surrounded by care and attention.

He praised the wise leadership’s care and attention to serving the Guests of Allah and thanked the Emir of Madinah Region for the attention the forum receives in this blessed city.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Emir of Madinah honored the sponsors and participating entities in the forum’s activities, as well as the winning teams of the “Hajjathon 3” challenge, which aims to create a creative platform that gathers distinguished minds to develop innovative solutions that enhance service efficiency and achieve sustainable impact in serving the Guests of Allah.