-  "Balady+" Offers an Integrated Digital Experience for Pilgrims in Partnership with the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites

The Balady+ app provides a fully integrated digital experience for the Hajj 1446H season, in collaboration with the Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites. This initiative aims to ease the journey of the pilgrims through highly accurate interactive maps that reflect real-time on-ground conditions, contributing to the enhancement of municipal services within the holy sites.

This initiative comes as part of the “Balady+” strategy to enhance the user experience and improve the efficiency of digital services by integrating detailed maps of the Holy Sites into the application, in a manner that respects the sanctity of the location and provides pilgrims with a reliable and up-to-date digital tool that supports every stage of the journey, from arrival to the completion of the rituals.

The application, developed by national talents, offers an interactive map experience with a three-dimensional interface and precise local content that reflects the evolving urban reality. It is supported by smart mobility services that provide real-time information on roads, locations, and services, as well as indoor navigation in commercial centers, in addition to alerts on speed bumps, obstacles, and road closures. The data is integrated from various government entities and the local community.

During the Hajj season, the “Balady+” team updated more than 11,000 landmarks on the map, including entrances and exits of the Grand Mosque, surrounding streets, arrival and departure routes, in addition to hospitals, health centers, Red Crescent locations, water points, restrooms, and over 160 vital locations. The map also includes 567 public transport stations (trains and buses) to facilitate pilgrim mobility, as well as 2,250 points representing hotels and camps to help pilgrims reach their accommodations.

The updates also included the Jamarat Bridge with its entrances, exits, and pedestrian paths, in addition to reflecting all traffic closures on the map in real time, in support of crowd management plans and to ensure smooth and safe movement within the Holy Sites.

The app, developed by NHC Innovation, also provides smart features such as prayer remembrance (Athkar) alerts, prayer times, and access to the Holy Qur’an without the need for an internet connection, which helps facilitate the pilgrim's journey and enrich their spiritual experience while on the move. The application can be downloaded via the following link: https://balady.go.link/kOJXF. 

This step reflects Balady+’s continued commitment to its role as a national enabler of smart cities and as a manifestation of Vision 2030, aimed at developing a more efficient and responsive urban environment that meets the needs of residents and visitors. It also supports the expansion of unified digital services to government entities through a smart, integrated map accessible to users anytime and anywhere.