Under the patronage of Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region, the Hajj and Umrah Services Conference and Exhibition "Expo Hajj", organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, will kick off during the period 9-12 January 2023. In a statement, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, said that "with speakers from 200 different organizations, the conference offers a chance to share the successful experiences of researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs from all over the world in order to improve the quality and sustainability of the services offered to pilgrims, in light of the support and interest that the Hajj and Umrah system enjoys from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and HRH the Crown Prince, to achieve the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 programs. The conference is a continuation of the Hajj and Umrah system's efforts to meet the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 by enhancing the quality of services provided to pilgrims coming from all over the world, facilitating their access to the Two Holy Mosques, and enriching their religious and cultural experiences. "Hajj Expo" aims to create an integrated and sustainable system that enhances the pilgrims' experience by utilizing the ideas and visions of experts, developing opportunities for partnerships, agreements, and local and international initiatives, engaging entrepreneurs and innovators to raise the quality for services offered during the Hajj, and reviewing the Kingdom's initiatives to improve the sustainability of the development of Hajj services. Given the international interest in the conference and the involvement of international delegates from more than 56 countries, "Hajj Expo" is expected to see the signing of 400 agreements and partnerships. The conference and exhibition also features ten main sessions, thirteen panel discussions, "Hajj Talk" sessions, and 36 workshops, along with many other events and activities aimed at fostering a culture of quality in the provision of Hajj and Umrah services, including the Islamic Exhibition, the "Hajj Hackathon" zone, and the startups' zone. During the event, the participants will also discuss a variety of important topics related to the development of pilgrim services, such as logistics, transportation and crowd management, housing and hospitality services, nutrition and catering services, service management, facilities and safety, health care, and enriching their experience. The first edition of conference in 2021 was a major success, as seen by the signing of 115 agreements and a record-breaking attendance of over 45,000 people.
