27 Sep 2022; MEMO: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah launched a new online platform yesterday to help facilitate the arrival of pilgrims and to assist them with religious rituals when visiting the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
According to Arab News, Nusuk enables visitors from all over the world to organise their pilgrimage, including the eVisa applications and booking flights and accommodation.
The Minister of Hajj and Umrah and Chairman of the Committee for the Pilgrim Experience Program, Dr Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, explained to the Saudi Press Agency that Nusuk is a continuation of efforts to improve the quality of the services provided to pilgrims by using the latest technology.
The move is considered a part of the kingdom's Vision2030 aimed at improving and modernising the services made available to pilgrims.
The platform was launched in cooperation with the Saudi Tourism Authority and is affiliated with the kingdom's official tourism website "Visit Saudi Arabia".
There are reportedly additional features that will be added at a later stage, such as interactive maps, a calendar for offers and activities, a multilingual digital instruction guide and health information and services.
The recently established Maqam portal, which allows foreign pilgrims to book Umrah trips and obtain visas, will be transferred to the Nusuk at a later stage.