The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the Doyof Al Rahman Program (DARP), in partnership with stc Group, launched the Pilgrim’s Smart Bracelet (NUSK) project as a hi-tech service that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will begin to provide during the Hajj season for this year (1442 A.H). The service, which is based on data and the Internet of things (IoT), includes the implementation of integrated project stages for business model development and operational, technical, and technological system development, in a quality experience that serves the pilgrimage journey.
The memorandum of understanding was signed at the SDAIA headquarters in the presence of H.E. Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi, Chairman of SDAIA; H.E. Dr. Essam bin Abdullah Alwaqit, Director of the National Information Center; DARP CEO Eng. Bassam bin Abdul Rahman Gheshian, stc Group CEO Eng. Olayan M. Alwetaid, and stc Chief Business Officer Eng. Riyadh Saeed Muawad.
SDAIA Chairman Dr. Abdullah Alghamdi welcomed this cooperation as an important step towards better serving pilgrims — a top priority for the Saudi leadership — and achieving the pertinent goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. He stressed that SDAIA is mobilizing all its technical capabilities and national competencies to provide the best and most innovative data- and IoT-based solutions for serving both the pilgrims and the various government and private sectors serving them. Alghamdi pointed out that this cooperation comes in line with the directives of H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of SDAIA’s Board of Directors, and his continuous and generous support to SDAIA, which has contributed to providing the best technical solutions that support our beloved country’s development journey.
For his part, DARP CEO Eng. Bassam bin Abdul Rahman bin Gheshian affirmed that “the signing of the MoU is the fruit of our wise leadership’s unlimited support to all sectors in order to enhance pilgrims’ experience and the services provided to those journeying to the Two Holy Mosques and other Holy Sites.”
He added that the signing of the MoU between DARP, SDAIA and stc Group is a reflection of DARP’s role in leading the transformation of the pilgrims service ecosystem with the aim of improving the services provided to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Eng. Bin Gheshian indicated that the pilgrim’s bracelet not only marks a key practical step on the path of developing the technical ecosystem and promoting innovation, but also reflects the Kingdom’s earnest endeavor to cater for pilgrims throughout their entire spiritual journey. Moreover, it will enable the private and tertiary sectors to become partners in the ongoing development process.
Bin Gheshian praised stc Group’s pioneering role in supporting and sponsoring digital initiatives, noting that “the national telecommunications company continues to play a distinguished role in leading the private sector’s contribution to serving pilgrims and building a digital ecosystem that helps facilitate the experience and reflects the reality of the Kingdom’s technical advancement.”
For his part, stc Group CEO Eng. Olayan Alwetaid, stressed that serving pilgrims with innovative digital solutions is one of stc’s objectives and contributes to enriching pilgrims’ experience with the latest technologies, in harmony with stc’s leading role in enabling digital transformation in accordance with Vision 2030. He added that this partnership is a continuation of our cooperation with SDAIA and its creative projects to serve the nation through top-quality digital services.
The Pilgrim’s Smart Bracelet (NUSK) will be presented for the first time in Saudi Arabia in its trial version with about 5,000 bracelets that will be distributed to pilgrims. The bracelets will provide key services such as displaying pilgrims’ full information and health status (fully or partially vaccinated), monitoring their health data by measuring blood oxygen and heartbeat, and providing emergency medical or security assistance request services to accelerate access to their location and rescue operations. Awareness messages will also be sent to pilgrims via the bracelet, in addition to other services that will better their pilgrimage journey, God willing.
The MoU reflects SDAIA’s major role in adapting technology by relying on its advanced infrastructure, national competencies, and its ability to develop innovative solutions. The agreement will also contribute to achieving DARP’s objective of enriching pilgrims’ experience and facilitating their journey. stc’s contribution is another valuable addition to this agreement, as it will harness its distinguished partnerships with international tech giants to support this technical project, thus showcasing the advanced level of technical development that the Kingdom reached worldwide.
