Hajj and Umrah Ministry launches challenge to design innovative umbrella for pilgrims

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has launched the "Innovative Umbrella Challenge for Pilgrims," inviting innovators, designers, developers, and specialized organizations to submit creative and practical concepts for personal umbrellas used during Hajj and Umrah. The initiative aims to enhance the quality of the pilgrim experience by improving comfort and safety during movement.

The ministry explained that this challenge is part of its ongoing efforts to improve the experience of pilgrims by developing practical solutions tailored to their needs. The goal is to provide protection from the sun, improve ease of use, raise safety standards, and promote operational efficiency and product sustainability.

The challenge seeks to develop a prototype for an innovative, feasible umbrella that is lightweight, easy to carry and use, offers high UV protection, and can withstand harsh weather and crowded conditions. The design should also reflect the visual identity of the holy sites and be suitable for mass production and deployment during Hajj and Umrah seasons.

Participation involves five stages: registration and review of the challenge objectives and evaluation criteria, attending introductory workshops, developing the prototype, submitting the models, and finally, evaluation and judging. Winning entries will be selected based on user experience, safety and crowd management, design quality and sustainability, innovation, and feasibility.

The ministry emphasized that the challenge is focused on finding practical, applicable solutions to improve umbrella use, reduce heat stress during movement, support smooth crowd flow in high-density areas, and unify the visual identity of umbrellas used during Hajj and Umrah, in line with the goals of enhancing services for pilgrims.