Unified Geospatial Platform: Boosting Service Management Efficiency for Makkah City, Holy Sites

The Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites is making significant advancements in building an advanced technical platform with the launch of the Unified Geospatial Platform project for Makkah. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites is making significant advancements in building an advanced technical platform with the launch of the Unified Geospatial Platform project for Makkah. (SPA)
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Unified Geospatial Platform: Boosting Service Management Efficiency for Makkah City, Holy Sites

The Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites is making significant advancements in building an advanced technical platform with the launch of the Unified Geospatial Platform project for Makkah. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites is making significant advancements in building an advanced technical platform with the launch of the Unified Geospatial Platform project for Makkah. (SPA)

Geospatial information systems have become vital for driving economic growth, maintaining security, accelerating development, and facilitating decision-making.

They are pivotal in fostering creativity and innovation by enabling the smart use of geospatial information to achieve sustainable development goals and ensure long-term economic growth.

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites is making significant advancements in building an advanced technical platform with the launch of the Unified Geospatial Platform project for Makkah.

This initiative aims to create a unified framework for the governance and utilization of geospatial data for the city, making it accessible through a single platform, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

This project is the cornerstone of the Royal Commission's ambitious plan to integrate modern technologies with geospatial information systems.

This integration supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the Royal Commission's strategic objectives to boost service delivery in Makkah, improve city management efficiency, and provide an exceptional experience for citizens and visitors through high productivity and a diversified economy.

In recognition of its achievements, the Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites received the Exceptional Performance Award in Geospatial Information Systems at the 2024 Esri World Conference.

The award highlights the entities and users worldwide that demonstrate vision, innovation, leadership, and dedication in their use of geospatial information systems (GIS) technology. It reflects the Royal Commission’s commitment to developing Makkah according to the highest international standards.



As Instagram Remains Blocked in Türkiye, Erdogan Accuses Social Media Companies of ‘Digital Fascism’

A woman holds a phone showing the Instagram logo, in Istanbul, Türkiye, 03 August 2024. (EPA)
A woman holds a phone showing the Instagram logo, in Istanbul, Türkiye, 03 August 2024. (EPA)
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As Instagram Remains Blocked in Türkiye, Erdogan Accuses Social Media Companies of ‘Digital Fascism’

A woman holds a phone showing the Instagram logo, in Istanbul, Türkiye, 03 August 2024. (EPA)
A woman holds a phone showing the Instagram logo, in Istanbul, Türkiye, 03 August 2024. (EPA)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused social media platforms of “digital fascism” on Monday for allegedly censoring photographs of Palestinian “martyrs.”

The Turkish leader’s comments came as Turkish officials were engaged in discussions with representatives of the social media platform, Instagram, to reinstate access to millions of its users in Türkiye.

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority barred access to Instagram on Aug.2 without providing a reason. Government officials said the ban was imposed because Instagram failed to abide by Turkish regulations.

Several media reports said however, that the action was in response to Instagram removing posts by Turkish users that expressed condolences over the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. It was the latest instance of a clampdown on websites in the country which has a track record of censoring social media and other online platforms.

“They cannot even tolerate photographs of Palestinian martyrs and immediately ban them,” Erdogan said at a human rights event. “We are confronted with a digital fascism that is disguised as freedom."

Unlike its Western allies, Türkiye does not consider Hamas a terror organization. A strong critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Erdogan has described the group as a liberation movement

Erdogan went on to state that social media websites were allegedly allowing all kinds of propaganda by groups considered terrorists in Türkiye.

“We have tried to establish a line of dialogue through our relevant institutions. However, we have not yet been able to achieve the desired cooperation,” Erdogan said.

The transportation and infrastructure minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, said Turkish authorities had met with representatives of the Meta-owned company last week and were holding a fresh round of talks on Monday.

Instagram has more than 57 million users in Türkiye, a nation of 85 million people, according to the We Are Social media company.

The Electronic Commerce Operators’ Association estimates that Instagram and other social media platforms per day generate about 930 million Turkish lira ($27 million) worth of e-commerce.