Wadi Makkah Ventures Co., a subsidiary of Wadi Makkah Technology Company owned by Umm Al-Qura University, announced its investment in the startup company SARIYA IT, a business accelerator and one of the fruits of the Haramain Technology Accelerator. The Haramain Accelerator is affiliated to the BADIR Program for Technology Incubators and Accelerators, one of the initiatives of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). The Wadi Makkah Ventures Co. is investing in the initial round of financing.

SARIYA IT provides an application platform specialized in promoting the key religious, historical and tourist attractions in the Saudi Kingdom and the region, in addition to providing a service allowing the visitors and residents to find tourist guides. It also provides free tourist routes that a visitor can easily and conveniently follow.

Managed and operated by the business incubators and accelerators company “BIAC”, a leading Saudi government company and subsidiary of the Saudi Development and Technical Investment Company (TAQNIA), the Haramain Technology Accelerator, which is owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), is the first specialized business accelerator to support and develop businesses for pilot companies and projects involved in the “Hajj Hackathon”. The Hajj Hackathon was organized last year by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP).

On his part, His Excellency Eng. Khalid Abdul-Ghani Sulaimani, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wadi Makkah Ventures Co. and Chairman of the Investment Committee, stated that Wadi Makkah Ventures Co. aims to invest in local and international startups which provide services and technologies that improve and develop the quality of the services of the Hajj and Umrah sector, in their initial or advanced stages. Such efforts aim to make Makkah a smart city, and the Hajj and Umrah trip more convenient and easier.

He added that through its investment in SARIYA IT Company and within the directives and vision of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), Wadi Makkah Ventures Co. aspires to enhance and upgrade the tourism (tourist guidance) and development sectors in the kingdom by providing high-quality and easy-to-use technologies, through services of the SARIYA IT applications.