Most of the travel agents welcome Smart Haj System which was developed by Saudi government to ensure better hajj pilgrimage to the pilgrims.
This new system will be introduced in 2018. It has been has been warmly received by several travel parties.
The Association of Umrah and Haj Travel Agents (Papuh) chairman Datuk Seri Razali Mohd Sham said that he respected the efforts of Saudi Arabia and its concern for the comfort and well being of pilgrims. He said this was exciting news as many parties had been awaiting improvements of Haj and Umrah services.
The improvements in Haj and Umrah services have been eagerly awaited for a long time, and Alhamdulilah. This is a good sign when the Saudi government is paying attention to the pilgrimage and Umrah.
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Haj and Umrah Dr Abdulfattah Suliman Mashat talked about the diversity of its government initiatives, including Smart Haj or Hajj Pintar. He said through Smart Haj, pilgrims’ waiting time at airports would be cut, and new processes would be implemented from this year.
This smart travel package includes the high-tech system for airport immigration clearance that reduced waiting time from two hours to 10 minutes and the introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) on electronic doors, allowing pilgrims to take buses and trains to their hotels.
In addition, the new airport of Jeddah will be opened after Ramadan, while the high-speed Express Haramain link will connect Medina and Mecca in less than two hours.
