Expansion of the Hajj History Center in Makkah
King Abdulaziz Foundation (Darah) announced a major expansion of the Hajj History Center in Makkah, encompassing new exhibition halls, advanced digitization laboratories, and modern research facilities. The project aims to strengthen the Center's role as a global reference for the history of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques. The expansion includes a dedicated wing for displaying rare manuscripts and documents related to Hajj through the ages, an interactive exhibition hall utilizing augmented and virtual reality technologies to transport visitors to historical scenes from ancient Hajj journeys, and a specialized research center with a comprehensive digital library. The Center currently houses over 30,000 documents, manuscripts, and historical photographs related to Hajj, collected from archives and libraries worldwide. With the new expansion, this number is expected to double within the next five years. The Center's director confirmed that the expansion will enhance scholarly research on Hajj history and provide an enriching experience for visitors and researchers alike, noting that the Center receives over 100,000 visitors annually from around the world.