Cairo: Some 14.1 million people visited the Saudi city of Medina, home to Islam’s second holiest site, as the kingdom’s tourism industry is booming.
The Medina Region Development Authority said the growth of tourism in the city is due to projects and initiatives undertaken there as well as due to improved services of accommodation, hospitality, transportation, and healthcare. Additionally, expanding museum services in Medina, famed for the Prophet’s Mosque, has contributed to enriching visitors’ experience.
To this end, the authority earlier this year launched a multilingual platform serving as a guide to visitors about Medina’s various landmarks.
The Medina Platform, which can be uploaded on smart phones, guides pilgrims and visitors to major places, souqs, traditional crafts and popular dishes in the city.
The e-platform is designed to provide a comprehensive user-friendly guide to the city’s main features in six languages. Furthermore, the platform highlights the annual calendar of events taking place in Medina.
The platform aims to build a distinctive identity for Medina as a tourist and cultural destination by enabling visitors and residents to explore and learn about the city’s historical, and cultural landmarks, and establishing the portal as a reliable digital guide for visitors throughout the year.
Over the past year, the spending of visitors hit SR49.7 billion amid indications of a rise in the visitor’s stay in the city to 10 days on average, according to figures released by the Medina Region Development Authority.
The Prophet’s Mosque houses Al Rawda Al Sharifa, where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is located. After performing Umrah or minor pilgrimage at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, in Mecca, many pilgrims would flock to Medina to offer prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque and visit other Islamic places in the city.
