 |
Hajj: Arrival of 1 Million Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia |
The Saudi Arabian authorities have reported the arrival of close to one million international pilgrims for the Hajj season of 2024.
The Saudi Gazette has indicated that by Sunday's end, a cumulative number of 935,966 pilgrims had entered through the kingdom's various air, land, and sea ports.
It is anticipated that over two million individuals will participate in the annual Makkah pilgrimage, with 65,000 of them being Nigerian pilgrims.
The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) has already transported 40,696 Nigerian pilgrims via 96 flights.
According to the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat), a vast majority of the pilgrims, totaling 896,287, arrived by air, while 37,280 pilgrims entered through land ports, and 2,399 arrived by sea.
The directorate has been utilizing its full potential to streamline the entry process for the pilgrims by enhancing its online platforms at international ports with state-of-the-art technical equipment, manned by skilled Saudi personnel fluent in the pilgrims' languages.
Furthermore, the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, has launched the Nusuk Wallet, a pioneering international digital wallet designed to serve the financial needs of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
This digital wallet initiative, a collaboration with the Saudi National Bank (SNB AlAhli), facilitates the management of pilgrims' finances and expenses, backed by SNB AlAhli's NEO banking infrastructure.
The Nusuk Wallet incorporates cutting-edge technologies and encryption methods to guarantee top-tier security for users' financial dealings.
Ahmed Al-Maiman, the ministry's director of digital experience, stated that the introduction of the digital wallet has led to several significant achievements both locally and internationally.
He highlighted that the Nusuk Wallet is the world's first digital wallet and international bank card, enabling pilgrims to handle their finances while staying in the sacred cities for their rituals. This development brings them closer to their objective of creating a comprehensive super-app tailored to the pilgrims' requirements.
