Saudi Arabia Opens AI and Technology Innovation Program for Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi
- The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque and the MiSK Foundation opened the sixth edition of “Diwan Al-Ibtikar” under the name “Think for the Two Holy Mosques”
- The program covers three fields and six tracks, including artificial intelligence and multilingual guidance for visitors
- Idea submissions close on September 16, 2026, and the top three winning solutions will receive financial rewards
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has opened the sixth edition of its “Diwan Al-Ibtikar” program, titled “Think for the Two Holy Mosques,” in partnership with the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation “MiSK.”
The program turns creative ideas into tested prototypes that can improve services at Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) and Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque).
From Idea to Working Model
Program director Anas Al Shaher said the sixth edition aims to collect creative ideas and turn them into solutions that improve services at the two mosques. He said the innovator’s journey does not end with submitting an idea.
It moves through several stages: idea submission, a virtual camp, an in-person camp, and building a minimum viable product (MVP) that is tested and refined. The program ends with a closing ceremony that crowns the top three solutions.
Three Fields, Six Tracks
Al Shaher said this edition has expanded its innovation fields and tracks. It now covers three main fields: culture and values, technology, and community responsibility. These branch into six tracks:
- Visiting the Rawdah (the sacred area of the Prophet’s Mosque)
- Guest experience
- The environment of the two mosques
- Multilingual guidance and interaction
- Artificial intelligence for the two mosques
- Enriching the visitor experience
He said each track includes core questions and case studies to help innovators understand the challenges and shape clear, workable solutions.
AI Focus for Emergency Response and Guidance
Al Shaher said technology and artificial intelligence are central to improving services at the two mosques, which is why the program has dedicated tracks to AI use and multilingual guidance technology.
He said the program pushes participants to design AI-based solutions for faster response to emergency and humanitarian cases, and to customize services based on visitor type, timing, location, and crowd levels.
He added that the program also targets smart guidance systems to help visitors reach their destinations quickly, and stronger digital interaction with visitors from different cultures and languages.
Rewards and Deadline
Al Shaher said the top three winning solutions will receive financial rewards to help them move into more advanced stages of application and execution.
He called on young people, innovators, and idea holders to join the program and use its learning journey to build their skills while contributing solutions for the two mosques and their visitors. He said the deadline for submitting ideas is September 16, 2026.
The MiSK Society track is one of four tracks under the MiSK Foundation, alongside the Leaders track, the Skills track, and the Entrepreneurship track, which together work to build youth capabilities and support their role in development and innovation.
Application
- NOTE: This service is currently only available within Saudi Arabia. It is not currently accessible from outside the Kingdom.
