High-tech app to help Indian Haj pilgrims

Haj pilgrims from India will now be equipped with an innovative navigation system to trace their way to their respective accommodations while on their holy pilgrimmage to Mecca this year, media reported.

"Pilgrims will wear identification tags on their wrists that will be connected to the mobile phone devices of mission officials and volunteers," Arab News quoted Indian Consul General B.S. Mubarak as saying Wednesday.

The new app will be available for download on the IOS and Android platforms of smartphones during the Haj pilgrimage.

The Indian mission has become the first foreign mission in Saudi Arabia to come up with such a state-of-the-art GPS app.

Indian pilgrims will be provided with Saudi Arabian SIM cards prior to boarding their flights to Jeddah and Medina and will receive an app downloading message upon arrival.

"Though we have many volunteers helping missing pilgrims find their way, most fail to effectively explain where they are, making it difficult for officials to find them. This new app will help us overcome logistical problems encountered during this busy season," the Indian diplomat said.

More than 136,000 pilgrims from India are expected to perform Haj this year, the report stated.

The Indian consulate in Jeddah recently launched a Facebook page in a bid to connect with the Indian community, enabling expatriates from different parts of Saudi Arabia to interact with their local mission, the report added.