The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), in partnership with the Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Public Security at the Ministry of Interior, has developed the smart ‘Roya’ platform to support security and operational activities at the holy sites during the Hajj and Umrah seasons.
Powered by artificial intelligence, remote sensing technologies and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Roya platform is designed to enhance response times and improve decision-making accuracy for security authorities operating in high-density areas.
The Roya platform provides advanced technical services, including the analysis of satellite imagery and geospatial data to study traffic movement and monitor crowd density. It also delivers field indicators that support security authorities in managing critical locations more efficiently, helping improve pilgrims’ experience while enhancing safety and organization across the holy sites.
In addition, the Roya platform offers advanced analysis of thermal zones and land surface temperature variations in Makkah and the holy sites. It can detect irregular patterns and convert data into spatial reports that improve field operation efficiency and accelerate information flow to specialized teams.
KACST explained that the Roya platform currently displays nearly 2,000 satellite images from the current and previous seasons, along with 126 aerial imaging operations covering Makkah, Madinah, the holy sites and access roads. The platform also provides urban heat island monitoring services to support environmental assessment, monitoring and field analysis activities.
According to KACST, all platform operations are fully automated, from the import of satellite and aerial imagery through data processing and analysis to the real-time display of outputs and statistics. The automation has helped improve operational efficiency and speed up data processing cycles.
Operated by KACST, the Roya platform is connected to the General Directorate of Public Security’s network through the Command and Control Center. It features an interactive interface that enables real-time data visualization, helping enhance services for pilgrims and strengthen operational readiness in crowded locations.
The platform forms part of the National Laboratory’s efforts at KACST to develop advanced technological solutions and smart platforms in line with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives to build a knowledge-based, innovation-driven digital economy.
