Saudi Arabia's official Nusuk platform has rolled out six new features designed to help pilgrims manage their worship, avoid crowds and arrange travel from within a single app. The update, reported in mid-August 2026, brings ritual tracking, live congestion data and an in-app assistant to the tool that now sits at the centre of every Umrah and Hajj journey.
The additions extend Nusuk beyond visas and permits into the practical, minute-by-minute needs of pilgrims inside Makkah and Madinah. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the Nusuk app already provides more than 130 services to pilgrims, and the latest features build on that foundation.
What the six new features do
The headline addition is a Tawaf and Sa'ee tracker. The app can now count and record completed rounds automatically, so pilgrims no longer need to keep track of each circuit themselves. For many worshippers, losing count during a crowded Tawaf is a common worry, and an automatic counter removes that source of anxiety.
Nusuk has also added live crowd levels. The app shows real-time occupancy and congestion for both the Tawaf area and the Sa'ee corridor between Safa and Marwah. This lets pilgrims choose quieter times to perform their rituals, which matters most for the elderly, the unwell and families with children.
The other four features round out the experience. Interactive maps display gates, facilities and prayer areas inside both Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi. A Qibla finder uses the device location to point toward the Kaaba. A hotel and flight booking tool lets pilgrims arrange travel without leaving the app. And Nusuk AI, an automated assistant, answers pilgrim questions directly.
Why the update matters
Saudi authorities have made Nusuk mandatory for all pilgrims, regardless of visa type, and the app is now the single channel for permits, packages and entry to the holy sites. Concentrating ritual guidance, navigation and crowd data in the same place reduces the number of separate apps a pilgrim must juggle during an already demanding journey.
The crowd-level feature in particular reflects a wider Saudi push to manage congestion at the two holy mosques as visitor numbers climb. Umrah arrivals from abroad have risen sharply this season, and tools that spread demand across the day help ease pressure at peak times.
Part of a wider digital shift
The features are the latest step in a years-long effort to digitise the pilgrimage. Nusuk, developed under the Pilgrim Experience Program of Saudi Vision 2030, has gradually absorbed functions that once required separate websites, agents and paper permits. Pilgrims now use it to obtain visas, book service packages, secure permits for Umrah and for the Rawdah in the Prophet's Mosque, and enter the holy sites by scanning a digital code.
Bringing ritual tracking and live crowd data into the same platform continues that consolidation. It also gives authorities richer, real-time information about how pilgrims move through Masjid al-Haram, which can inform crowd management and scheduling. For pilgrims who travel only once in a lifetime and may find the sites unfamiliar and overwhelming, a single trusted app that answers questions and shows the way can ease much of the practical stress of the journey.
Practical tips for pilgrims
Download and register on Nusuk before travelling, using your passport and visa details, so the app is ready when you arrive. Explore the interactive maps and locate your nearest gates in advance, as this saves time and confusion on your first visit to the Haram.
Use the live crowd feature to plan Tawaf and Sa'ee outside the busiest windows, typically the hours around each obligatory prayer. Keep your phone charged and carry a power bank, since the tracker, maps and Qibla tools all rely on a working device. Finally, treat the automatic round counter as a helpful aid rather than a replacement for your own attention, and continue to perform each ritual mindfully.