The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque has launched a suite of digital services for visitors to the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. The platform lets worshippers plan their visit in advance and navigate the site more efficiently through an interactive map, live crowd monitoring and real-time prayer-area occupancy updates.

According to Saudi Gazette, the services are available through the authority's website and give visitors access to information before and during their visit. The move is part of a broader effort to raise the quality of digital services across the Two Holy Mosques.

What the platform offers

The core feature is an interactive map of the Prophet's Mosque that displays up-to-date information on facilities and service locations. It is designed to help visitors move around the mosque and reach their destinations with less confusion, particularly during busy periods.

A live crowd-monitoring service covers the route pilgrims take to offer salutations to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Visitors can check congestion levels before heading to the Rawdah and the greeting area, rather than arriving to find long queues. A separate prayer-occupancy service shows how full different prayer areas are, helping worshippers choose the most suitable time and place to pray.

The platform also brings together a visitor-services portal, the Manarat Al-Haramain platform, a worshipper's guide and a children's hospitality centre in a single online destination.

The scale behind the system

The authority said the underlying system maps more than 950 points of interest across 13 service categories. These are supported by over 650 QR codes placed around the mosque, allowing visitors to pull up location-specific guidance on their phones.

The technology can generate more than 100,000 dynamic routes, which are automatically optimised based on crowd-movement data. In practice, that means the suggested path to the Rawdah or to a particular gate can change through the day as conditions shift.

The authority described the initiative as support for Saudi Arabia's wider digital-transformation strategy, which aims to improve access to services and enrich the experience of pilgrims and visitors. The Prophet's Mosque receives millions of visitors each year, and crowd management around the Rawdah, where entry is already regulated through timed permits on the Nusuk app, remains a central challenge.

Why it matters for visitors

Access to the Rawdah, the area between the Prophet's pulpit and his chamber, is one of the most sought-after parts of a visit to Madinah. Demand consistently outstrips capacity, and permits are booked in advance. A live view of congestion can help visitors time their approach and reduce the stress of waiting in dense crowds.

For elderly and first-time visitors in particular, an accurate map and clear prayer-area guidance can make the difference between a calm visit and a disorienting one.

Practical tips

Visitors planning a trip to Madinah should note the following:

  • Check crowd levels first. Before heading to the Rawdah or greeting area, review the live crowd status to pick a quieter window.
  • Still book your Rawdah permit. The new platform aids navigation, but entry to the Rawdah continues to require a timed permit through the Nusuk app.
  • Use the QR codes on site. Scanning the codes placed around the mosque pulls up location-specific directions and service information.
  • Plan prayers around occupancy. The prayer-occupancy service can point you to less crowded areas, which is especially useful during peak congregational prayers.

Visitors are advised to rely only on the authority's official website and the Nusuk app for permits and live information, and to treat unofficial booking sites with caution.