The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has launched the “Innovating the Best Umbrella for the Guests of Allah” challenge to open opportunities for innovators, designers, developers, and specialized entities to present innovative, actionable concepts that enhance personal umbrellas used during the Hajj and Umrah seasons, thereby improving the pilgrim experience and elevating safety and comfort levels during movement.
The Ministry explained that the challenge is part of its ongoing efforts to enrich the pilgrim experience by creating practical solutions tailored to the needs of Hajj and Umrah performers. These solutions aim to provide protection from direct sunlight, improve ease of use, increase safety levels, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure product sustainability.
The challenge targets the development of a practical prototype for an innovative umbrella that is lightweight, easy to carry and operate, and provides high protection against ultraviolet (UV) rays. The design must withstand climate conditions and high crowd density while reflecting the visual identity of the Holy Sites, with the capacity for large-scale production and operation during Hajj and Umrah seasons.
The participation process comprises five stages: registering and reviewing the challenge objectives and evaluation criteria, attending introductory workshops, developing the prototype, submitting the models, and concluding with the evaluation and judging phase. Winning designs will be selected based on criteria including user experience, safety and crowd management, design quality and sustainability, innovation, and feasibility and applicability.
The Ministry reaffirmed that the challenge focuses on achieving practical, implementable solutions that improve umbrella usability, reduce heat exhaustion during movement, and support smooth traffic flow in high-density areas, in addition to unifying the visual identity of umbrellas used during Hajj and Umrah seasons in alignment with goals to advance pilgrim services. Registration and participation are available via the.
