Saudi Arabia has taken a major step in merging spiritual devotion with artificial intelligence by introducing ‘Ibraheem,’ the world’s first AI-powered Umrah Advisor. Developed by Pakistani startup Umrah Companions and powered by Saudi-based Funadiq, Ibraheem aims to revolutionize the Umrah experience by simplifying travel, reducing costs, and offering multilingual support tailored especially for Pakistani and global pilgrims.
The AI-powered Umrah Advisor was introduced last week with the goal of making pilgrimage planning easier for millions of Muslims worldwide. Ibraheem, a smart personal assistant that is available in ten languages (including Arabic, English, Urdu, and Roman Urdu), assists users in choosing vacation dates, comparing lodging alternatives, checking the weather, finding emergency and medical facilities, and even requesting a wheelchair at Makkah’s Haram.
The application was created in response to a rising concern: many Muslims cannot afford to perform the Hajj and Umrah. 93% of Muslims worldwide are currently unable to pay for the Hajj and Umrah. “It’s too costly,” Umrah Companions CEO Mohammad Salman Arain stated. The system’s inefficiencies are the reason why the cost is still high. Our goal is to make that transformation.
Indeed, Pakistan’s pilgrims, who represent one of the world’s largest pilgrimage markets, collectively spend more than $5 billion annually on Hajj and Umrah. Many face challenges such as language barriers, confusing processes, and expensive, inflexible packages from traditional agents. The AI-powered Umrah Advisor aims to reduce expenses by up to 20% while offering a more personalized experience for users, whether they are solo travelers, families with children, or elderly pilgrims with special needs.
Pakistani laborers and middle-class workers in the Gulf region can use Ibraheem since it is mobile phone optimized and performs well in low-bandwidth environments. “You can just ask, ‘I want to travel in August,'” says Arain. How much does it cost for four people? Ibraheem will help create an itinerary, select appropriate lodgings, and offer both high-end and low-cost options.
What sets the AI-powered Umrah Advisor apart is its on-ground functionality. Once the pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia, Ibraheem continues to provide assistance, guiding users to nearest halal restaurants, recommending prayer spots, showing availability of facilities like wheelchairs at Haram gates, and helping in emergency situations.
To expand reach, Umrah Companions has partnered with Pakistani embassies, banks, and diaspora groups in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The platform is already seeing impact, a 25% surge in web traffic has been recorded since the launch, and plans are underway to evolve the service for the upcoming Hajj season.
Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s ambitious plan to modernize services and diversify the economy, particularly in religious tourism, is a perfect fit for this invention. “We believe this will revolutionize pilgrimage and make it accessible for everyone,” Arain emphasized. It is exactly in line with Saudi Arabia’s goal of providing accessible, technologically advanced religious tourism.
The launch of Ibraheem, the world’s first AI-powered Umrah Advisor, marks a new era of inclusive, tech-driven spirituality. With its affordability, language diversity, and smart features, it promises to uplift the experience of millions of pilgrims – starting with the growing Pakistani community and eventually benefiting Muslims worldwide.
