An RFID-Based System for Pilgrim Management in King Abdul Aziz International Airport

Millions of pilgrims arrive every year to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform the fifth pillar of Islam, Hajj. Managing this large number of pilgrims from different nations and various cultures in a short period of time is not easy. Officials in the pilgrim terminal in King AbdulAziz International Airport (KAIA), which is the main portal to the holy city of Makkah, need to utilize new technological solutions to increase the efficiency of the process of receiving, guiding, and managing pilgrims. In this work, we propose a system to manage pilgrims in KAIA using the RFID technology. In this system, each pilgrim is given an ID card with a unique number. This card is used to identify the pilgrim in different stages of the arrival process. The proposed system helps pilgrims finding their ways to the designated waiting area for their nationalities and helps officials registering pilgrims, editing their information, and searching for them.