Saudi Arabia: New AI robot at Mecca’s Grand Mosque answers pilgrims’ religious questions

Cairo: Saudi Arabia has introduced into the Grand Mosque in Mecca the second artificial intelligence-powered robot to answer religious queries from Muslims gathering in the kingdom to perform the Hajj rites.

Chief of the Presidency of Religious Affairs in the Two Holy Mosques, Abdulrahman Al Sudais, launched the smart machine nicknamed Manara 2 (Beacon II) in several languages to keep pace with digital transformation and support the utilisation of cutting-edge technologies to enrich the pilgrims' religious experience.

The robot serves as a smart reference, harnessing artificial intelligence to answer questions related to the Islamic Sharia law through an integrated, governed database, with direct communication with Islamic scholars via video call, if the question is not previously stored.

The first such robot, named "Manara" was launched in the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, during the past holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

The robot’s design is inspired by Islamic decorations that reflect the architecture of the Two Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia.

Over the years, the method of providing answers to religious queries in Islam's two holiest sites has evolved significantly. Traditionally, seated clerics offered fatwas, or religious edicts, directly to seekers. This service later transitioned to phone-based consultations before moving online.