Key Takeaways
- A speaking robot at Al-Kharj’s Guests of the Merciful Service Center answers common pilgrim questions in 69 languages
- The centre covers more than 50,000 square metres and can receive up to 35,000 pilgrims at a time
- It serves as a primary reception point for land-route arrivals heading to Makkah for Hajj 2026
Engineer Osama Al-Shumaimri has introduced a speaking robot at Al-Kharj’s Guests of the Merciful Service Center that can communicate with Hajj pilgrims in 69 languages.
The robot is designed to answer the most common questions pilgrims ask on arrival, offering guidance in their own language without the need for human interpreters.
The technology addresses one of the most persistent practical challenges at large Hajj reception points — language barriers between staff and the millions of pilgrims who travel to Saudi Arabia each year from countries across the world.
The Guests of the Merciful Service Center in Al-Kharj spans more than 50,000 square metres and holds up to 35,000 pilgrims at any one time.
It sits along a key land corridor into Makkah, making it one of the first points of contact for pilgrims arriving by road ahead of Hajj 2026.
The scale of the facility places it among the Kingdom’s most significant Hajj reception hubs, handling large volumes of arrivals who need information, directions, and practical support before continuing their journey to Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque).
Pilgrims arrive from countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and beyond, many of whom do not speak Arabic or English.
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