Great Mosque of Mecca adds digital guidance on 22 October
Published on 10/24/2026 at 08:49 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSDigital guidance and historic setting
- Religious Affairs Presidency activated services at the mosque on 22 October 2026.
- Interactive screens support up to 60 languages, while the service offers guidance in more than 12 languages.
- The oldest surviving sections of the modern mosque date to the sixteenth century.
- Mecca lies in western Saudi Arabia, inland from the Red Sea coast.
A new digital guidance service at the Great Mosque of Mecca (Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca was activated on 22 October 2026 by the Religious Affairs Presidency. The change adds multilingual religious, educational and navigation support inside one of Islam's principal pilgrimage sites.
Digital guidance arrives at the Great Mosque of Mecca
The presidency says the service uses modern technology and artificial intelligence to help worshippers reach religious guidance and educational material. Its services are offered in more than 12 languages, while interactive screens support up to 60 languages for visitors from different countries and language groups.
The facilities include interactive displays, cloud-based communication, live translation and digital guidance. Centres also provide direct communication with religious scholars, allowing visitors to seek information about rituals and their observance. The official service announcement places the facilities inside the mosque and dates their activation to 22 October 2026.
How the new service fits the historic mosque
The Great Mosque of Mecca surrounds the Kaaba, the central shrine of Islam, and is a destination for hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Its covered prayer areas surround a rectangular courtyard, where pilgrims perform tawaf around the Kaaba. The courtyard also contains the station of Abraham and the Zamzam well.
The oldest surviving sections of the modern structure date to the sixteenth century. An Ottoman renovation in 1571 added small domes, while major Saudi enlargements began in 1955 and continued through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The building therefore combines historic Ottoman fabric with large modern expansions, making digital guidance relevant to a site that has grown repeatedly to serve pilgrims. Britannica records the mosque's location and development in its history of the Great Mosque.
Multilingual support reaches the pilgrimage routes
The service is intended to connect religious information with movement through the mosque. Visitors can use the screens and guidance centres while carrying out rituals, rather than relying only on printed material or assistance in one language. This links the 22 October change directly to the courtyard, the Kaaba and the routes between Safa and Marwa.
The presidency describes the initiative as part of an operating plan that combines field services with digital tools. It is not a change to the mosque's historic function: the site remains a place of prayer and pilgrimage, with the new system adding information and communication facilities for worshippers.
Visiting Great Mosque of Mecca: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The digital guidance service was activated inside the mosque on 22 October 2026 by the Religious Affairs Presidency.
- Interactive screens support up to 60 languages, while religious services are offered in more than 12 languages; direct communication with scholars is also available through the centres.
- The mosque is in Mecca, western Saudi Arabia, and its central courtyard contains the Kaaba, the station of Abraham and the Zamzam well.
- Visitors encounter a building whose oldest surviving modern sections date to the sixteenth century, alongside major expansions begun in 1955.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Great Mosque of Mecca
When was the digital guidance service activated at Great Mosque of Mecca?
The Religious Affairs Presidency activated it on 22 October 2026 inside the mosque.
What is the Great Mosque of Mecca?
It is the mosque in Mecca that surrounds the Kaaba and serves as a principal destination for hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
Where is Great Mosque of Mecca and how do you get there?
It is in Mecca in western Saudi Arabia. The site is centred on the Kaaba and includes the Zamzam well and the routes between Safa and Marwa.
