وزارة الحج والعمرة
Saudi government ministry that organises Hajj, Umrah and visitation affairs and runs the Nusuk digital platform, led by Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah since October 2021.
Industry: Government - pilgrimage and visitor affairs | Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia | Founded: 2016
About وزارة الحج والعمرة
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is the Saudi government body responsible for organising Hajj, Umrah and visitation affairs, and for coordinating the sectors involved in travel to Mecca and Medina. Its official portal describes its vision as creating a timeless spiritual experience for the Guests of Allah, and Wikipedia gives Mecca as its headquarters.
The ministry was formed on 7 May 2016, according to Wikipedia, and succeeded a line of earlier bodies that began with the Hajj Administration in 1926 and later included the Ministry of Hajj and Endowments and, from 1993, the Ministry of Hajj. It is led by Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, who was appointed Minister of Hajj and Umrah on 15 October 2021 after serving as Minister of Health and Minister of Commerce and Industry. The ministry's leadership page also lists Dr. Abdelfattah bin Suliman Mashat as Deputy Minister, with responsibility for public policy on the Hajj and Umrah system and digital transformation, and names separate deputy ministers for Umrah affairs, Hajj affairs, visit affairs, planning and digital transformation, and shared services.
On 26 September 2022 the ministry launched Nusuk, a digital platform and mobile app for visitors to Mecca and Medina. Nusuk succeeded the earlier Eatmarna application and handles Umrah permits, bookings to visit Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah and planning tools, with later channels for Hajj registration and for international Umrah visa applications. Wikipedia reports that the platform had more than 51 million users by March 2026.
In September 2026 the ministry convened technology vendors and sector stakeholders in Jeddah for the launch of the Umrah and Visit Forum 2027, according to a TechScoop report. The report states that the ministry's Vision 2030 goal is 30 million Umrah visits a year by 2030 under the Pilgrim Experience Program, and that it is mapping prospective technology suppliers for 2027. Contract values and product roadmaps were not part of the launch announcements.