The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Facilitating Hajj and Umrah: A Comprehensive Review of Chatbot Applications

Hajj and Umrah are two of the most significant spiritual journeys in Islam, drawing millions of pilgrims to Makkah annually. The increasing number of pilgrims, coupled with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal of hosting over 30 million pilgrims annually, calls for innovative solutions to enhance the experience. This paper reviews existing AI-based chatbot applications, with a focus on three key areas: Arabic NLP, generalization of chatbot technology and application, and specific chatbots for Hajj and Umrah. However, the analysis reveals a significant knowledge gap: the absence of functional, adaptive, context-aware Arabic chatbots connected to the Hajj and Umrah journey. The objective of filling these gaps is to create a new generation of AI technologies that will significantly enhance the experience of the Hajj and Umrah, increase suitability for less IT literate users, and provide effective multifaceted communication among countless users from all over the world and with different languages. Incorporation of these tools is in line with the general Saudi Arabia vision of using technology to promote and improve the religious tourism experience signifying the holy journey as being both spiritually enriching and devoid of any administrative hitches.