Free phone line for answering legal inquiries in 10 languages
In a move aimed at enhancing the experience of pilgrims and facilitating their performance of rituals, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, represented by the General Secretariat for Islamic Awareness in Hajj, Umrah and Visitation, announced the activation of a free telephone service dedicated to answering religious inquiries. This advanced service, staffed by a select group of the Ministry's preachers and utilizing an automated response system, is part of the second phase of the Islamic awareness plan for the current Umrah season of 1447 AH.
Service details and available languages
The new service allows pilgrims and visitors to communicate directly or automatically via the toll-free number (8002451000). The system is equipped to operate in ten major international languages to ensure that accurate religious information reaches the widest possible audience of Muslims worldwide. The list of supported languages includes Arabic, English, French, Urdu, Indonesian, Filipino, Hausa, Bengali, Hindi, and other languages spoken by visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.
Digital transformation and the Kingdom's Vision 2030
The launch of this service comes within a broader strategic framework aligned with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which prioritizes serving pilgrims. The Ministry is working diligently to leverage modern technology and artificial intelligence to enhance its outreach and guidance services. The shift from traditional awareness methods to advanced communication systems and automated responses is a pivotal step in the "Serving Pilgrims" program, contributing to accommodating the increasing number of pilgrims and providing high-quality services characterized by speed and accuracy.
The importance of multilingual awareness
Providing multilingual services to answer religious inquiries is of paramount importance given the vast cultural and linguistic diversity of pilgrims to the Holy Mosque. Non-Arabic speaking pilgrims often face challenges in understanding certain rulings related to the rituals, which can affect the validity of their worship or cause them embarrassment. Therefore, having qualified translators and preachers available to answer pilgrims' questions in their languages directly contributes to removing language barriers and ensures that the rituals are performed according to the correct Prophetic guidance, free from innovation or extremism.
Service continuity and the approach of moderation
The Ministry affirmed that the service is not limited to automated responses, but also includes 24/7 remote call reception with the participation of preachers, with intensified direct contact during peak seasons such as the holy month of Ramadan and the Hajj season. These ongoing outreach efforts aim to instill the values of moderation and balance, and to highlight the tolerance and ease of Islam in worship and transactions, in accordance with the directives of the wise leadership, which has dedicated all human and material resources to serving pilgrims to the Two Holy Mosques and enabling them to perform their rituals with ease and tranquility.
