Towards Hajj and Umrah Digital Transformation Using Smartwatches

Many of us now rely on smartwatches as an integral part of our lives. The smartwatch market has become one of the world’s most popular and best-selling markets. They have been used in various fields like health and sports. They have valuable features that assist people in their daily lives. With Hajj and Umrah undergoing digital transformation, smartwatches can be used to enhance pilgrims’ experience during sacred rituals. NUSK is a smartwatch launched by (SDAIA) in Hajj season 1442 AH (2021) to provide several services like displaying pilgrims’ information and health status, monitoring their health data, and requesting emergency medical or security assistance. It is vital to develop similar projects and build upon the success of NUSK. Hence, this work uses “Bangle.js”, an open-source (sw/hw) smartwatch, to present some Hajj and Umrah applications to enhance the pilgrim’s experience in the sacred journey and to help achieve our country’s ambitious vision towards Hajj and Umrah digital transformation. We also propose incorporating “Bangle.js” into the labs of microprocessor courses at Saudi Computer Colleges to allow students to broaden their skills, abilities, and thinking toward real-life applications facilitating digital transformation.