SDAIA Deploys AI Solutions to Streamline Pilgrim Entry at King Abdulaziz Airport, Jeddah Islamic Port

The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea. SPA
The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea. SPA
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SDAIA Deploys AI Solutions to Streamline Pilgrim Entry at King Abdulaziz Airport, Jeddah Islamic Port

The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea. SPA
The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea. SPA

The Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) has deployed data and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies at King Abdulaziz International Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port to streamline entry procedures for pilgrims.

The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea.

SDAIA provides comprehensive technical and operational support to ensure smooth operations at the Hajj terminals of King Abdulaziz International Airport. This includes equipping workstations, integrating them with government systems, preparing data centers, and securing primary and backup communication services to ensure uninterrupted functionality.

SDAIA also installed and activated biometric stations at the airport, upgraded devices with certified systems, and trained personnel from partner agencies on the use of Hajj-specific platforms and systems, contributing to reduced processing times for pilgrims.

In addition, the national integrated app Tawakkalna offers services tailored for Hajj, including the display of permits issued through the unified digital platform for Hajj authorization, known as the Makkah Entry Permit Portal.

The portal issues licenses and permits for both domestic and international Hajj pilgrims, authorizing access to Makkah and the holy sites through technical integration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah via the Nusuk platform.



Apple Changes App Store Rules in EU to Comply with Antitrust Order

This photo shows a general view of an Apple store in the Huangpu district in Shanghai, on June 23, 2025. (AFP)
This photo shows a general view of an Apple store in the Huangpu district in Shanghai, on June 23, 2025. (AFP)
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Apple Changes App Store Rules in EU to Comply with Antitrust Order

This photo shows a general view of an Apple store in the Huangpu district in Shanghai, on June 23, 2025. (AFP)
This photo shows a general view of an Apple store in the Huangpu district in Shanghai, on June 23, 2025. (AFP)

Apple on Thursday changed rules and fees in its App Store in the European Union after the bloc's antitrust regulators ordered it to remove commercial barriers to sending customers outside the store. 

Apple said developers will pay a 20% processing fee for purchases made via the App Store, though the fees could go as low as 13% for Apple's small-business program. 

Developers who send customers outside the App Store for payment will pay a minimum fee of 5% and at most 15%. Developers will also be able to use as many links as they wish to send users to outside forms of payment. 

The changes are aimed at trying to help Apple avoid paying daily fines of 5% of its average daily worldwide revenue, or about 50 million euros ($58 million) per day after being given 60 days to show it was in compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act. Apple has already paid 500 million euro ($580 million) fine levied by EU antitrust regulators in April. 

"The European Commission is requiring Apple to make a series of additional changes to the App Store. We disagree with this outcome and plan to appeal," Apple said in a statement. 

In a statement, the European Commission said it will now review Apple's changes for compliance with the Digital Markets Act. 

"As part of this assessment the Commission considers it particularly important to obtain the views of market operators and interested third parties before deciding on next steps," the Commission said in a statement. 

In a statement posted on social media site X, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, which fought a protracted antitrust lawsuit with Apple, called Apple's changes "a mockery of fair competition in digital markets. Apps with competing payments are not only taxed but commercially crippled in the App Store." 

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sweeney's remarks.