Dr. Abdel-Fattah Mashat, Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umra, at the out set of second scientific session at the scientific forum 18 for Hajj and Umra researches, gave a presentation of the initiatives and main plans sought to be achieved by the Ministry of Hajj and Umra. The session was headed by UQU president Abdullah Bafil, under the title: "The Future of Hajj and Umra Services System under the Saudi Vision 2030). The Ministry of Hajj and Umra seeks, through the initiatives and planns presented at the session, to achieve three strategic goals that can be summed in: facilitating accepting more pilgrims, facilitating reaching the Two Holly Mosques, in addition to providing high quality services for pilgrims to enrich the religious and cultural experience the pilgrims go through.

In the course of his presentation, Dr. Abdel-Fattah Mashat highlighted the importance of transportation and technology pivots and qualifying them to be utilized throughout the year under the strategy sat by the ministry. The ministry seeks to make a qualitative leap forward in the administration of transporting pilgrims through various initiatives. Regarding the technological pivot, the ministry concentrates on electronic gates and platforms as a progressive step towards achieving great deal of its goals to establish modern hosting industry as a way to serve Hajj and Umra services and economics. Additionally, it seeks to activate its strategic partnership through the program of "serving the pilgrims" which we can sum up its goals as follows: hosting larger numbers of Umra pilgrims, facilitating reaching the Two Holy Mosques, providing HIGh quality services, establishing Hajj and Umra information and economics unit, in addition to establishing a business incubator for Start-Up companies working at fields appertaining to Pilgrimage.   

At the same session, Dr. Sami bin Yasin Borhamin, the Two Holy Mosques for Hajj and Umrah Researches, pointed out the importance of resuming and implementing the institute initiatives. The initiatives are represented in expanding in pilgrims grouping as strategic choice for Hajj and Umra, expanding the applications of green camps project and its various initiatives, developing the subsistence system in sacred emotions, improving the dormitory supplies in Mozdalifah, in addition to improving multi-storey tent complexes that can be easily manufactured locally, and supplying tent complexes with air-conditioning, refrigerated water and ice tanks. The initiative also includes paying attention to joint-use buildings (hosting and accommodation purposes) to absorb the increasing numbers of pilgrims and developing the region economy.

He highlighted the importance of making use of hard wastes resulting from the Adahi Project (Hajj Meat Project) to provide a secure environment and to limit air pollution, and using buses and electrical trucks for transportation. He also signaled the importance of accurate observation to control infectious diseases and taking procedures to limit natural dangers; in addition to using guiding signs for services and facilities, and starting to use integrated system of receiving and transferring luggage. Furthermore, he pointed out the importance of spreading mobilizing services for Hajj and Umra, improving cable cars for emergency cases in Mina and Muzdalifah, and establishing a link between such cars and the hospitals in the capital. Additionally, he pointed out the importance of providing a comfortable transportation for the pilgrims through a specialized company to operate and improve the transportation fleet to link it with the current network of roads to find an urgent and effective solution with a suitable cost as a step towards a comprehensive solution by realizing the comprehensive plan of transportation; and finally, creating mechanical sorting centers to facilitate transporting pilgrims vehicles and facilitating pilgrims grouping to visit sacred places with advance booking.

At the end of the session, he recommended to develop a metro to serve Tawaf and Sa'ay at the ceilings of floors at the stations around the mosque to divide the crowds, and it has to be supported by a moving track at the roofs, and moving track for entering and getting out, which shall increase the capacity of tawaf and sa'ay.