Saudis launch hajj smart card

Saudi authorities have created a new digital system for hajj pilgrims. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s so-called hajj smart card can be scanned at self-service devices at Muslim pilgrimage sites. The card stores personal information, identifies gathering points and departure times for holy site visits, dispatches notifications from

Pilgrims sometimes illegally enter Mecca. Authorities fined 52 people last week for allegedly attempting to enter the holy city without a permit, according to the Saudi Gazette news outlet.