50th Grand Hajj Symposium Opens in Jeddah

The 50th edition of the Grand Hajj Symposium opened on Wednesday in Jeddah, marking a major milestone in the event’s long-standing role in advancing dialogue and scholarship related to Hajj and pilgrim services. Organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in cooperation with the Council of Senior Scholars, this year’s symposium is held under the theme: “The Symposium: An Effective Platform in Serving Pilgrims—Half a Century of Knowledge Enrichment.” In his opening remarks, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfig Al-Rabiah said the Grand Hajj Symposium represents the continuation of an established academic journey spanning more than 50 years of scientific dialogue on developing the Hajj services system. He noted that it reflects the Saudi leadership’s ongoing commitment to Hajj and its dedication to strengthening the role of knowledge in enhancing the quality of services provided to pilgrims, the Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday. Al-Rabiah added that the symposium’s themes reflect the major transformations witnessed in the Hajj system over recent decades, during which the Kingdom has developed an advanced global model for crowd management and pilgrim services through integrated planning, institutional development, and modern technologies. A speech by Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan was delivered on his behalf by Secretary-General of the Council of Senior Scholars Fahd Al-Majed, who emphasized that Saudi Arabia has been honored with serving the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors. He noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leadership places great importance on serving the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors, enabling pilgrims to perform their rituals in peace and tranquility. The symposium program also included specialized workshops on supporting Hajj affairs offices and media delegations, international awareness communication, digital transformation in pilgrim grouping systems, and enhancing distribution efficiency and reducing random slaughter practices, as part of efforts to improve operational readiness for the 1447 AH Hajj season. The 50th edition of the Grand Hajj Symposium reflects half a century of organized knowledge-based work in the service of Hajj and underscores the Kingdom’s approach to strengthening integration between knowledge and operations, while reinforcing the symposium’s status as a global scientific platform that keeps pace with the development of the Hajj system and anticipates the future of pilgrim services.