CN Desk: Madinah Gov. Prince Salman bin Sultan opened the third Umrah and Ziyarah Forum at the King Salman International Convention Center.Organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in partnership with the Pilgrim Experience Program, the three-day event runs until April 1.In his opening remarks, the governor affirmed that serving pilgrims is a deep-rooted commitment established since the Kingdom’s founding and upheld by successive leaderships.He noted that the forum is gaining importance as a global platform that brings together experts, stakeholders, and investors to exchange expertise, explore opportunities, and shape the future of the Umrah and Ziyarah sector in support of Saudi Vision 2030 targets.The governor also inaugurated the King Abdulaziz Foundation’s “Historical Atlas of the Prophetic Biography” and launched a naming initiative for neighborhoods and streets within the Rua Al-Madinah project, using historically documented names to preserve the area’s cultural and urban identity near the Prophet’s Mosque.The event hosted the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding, as well as the presentation of Umrah and Ziyarah Forum awards to distinguished organizations and Umrah companies.During the forum, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah announced that the ministry has launched a special operations room to address challenges and provide services to pilgrims arriving from abroad, in collaboration with the General Authority of Civil Aviation and other relevant agencies. This initiative aims to ensure pilgrims’ comfort and safety during their rituals.He added that 18 million Umrah performers arrived from outside the Kingdom this year, marking a growth of over 214 percent compared to 2022.Al-Rabiah commended the Kingdom’s leadership for their support of the Umrah sector and noted that pilgrim satisfaction rose to 94 percent by 2025, alongside more than 15.6 million visitors to Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah and significant increases in the number of developed historical sites.He also announced that the Nusuk app has surpassed 51 million users worldwide. Developed by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the app provides more than 130 digital services to help pilgrims plan their journey — from issuing Umrah permits and booking visits to Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah to checking crowd density and accessing support — enhancing the overall experience and satisfaction of visitors.The forum serves as a platform for sharing experiences and building partnerships, featuring over 150 exhibitors, 50 workshops, and the signing of more than 5,000 agreements, all aimed at improving Umrah and visitation services.The accompanying exhibition brings together a diverse group of entities from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors involved in the pilgrim journey, including real estate, technology and artificial intelligence, hospitality, tourism, aviation, government services, logistics, healthcare, and sustainability.The exhibition serves as an interactive platform that connects sector stakeholders and showcases advanced technologies and innovative solutions that enhance the pilgrim experience across operational, technical, sustainability, and cultural dimensions.It also highlights automation and cultural experiences in Madinah, while promoting knowledge exchange and public-private partnerships to improve service quality.