Saudia streamlines Hajj travel with smart baggage system

Saudia Airlines is scaling its ‘Hajj Without Baggage’ initiative for 2026, using digital integration to streamline pilgrimage travel and reduce airport pressure during peak demand.

The service has been extended to more than 400,000 pilgrims across the carrier’s global network of 145 destinations. It will be delivered in coordination with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and Matarat Holding, with integration through the Nusuk platform and HalaBag system. 

Nusuk utliises verified pilgrim data to generate digital baggage records in advance, while HalaBag assigns each item a unique barcode for real-time tracking, automated sorting and faster processing across airports. Together, the technologies form a connected ecosystem designed to automate baggage handling from check-in to delivery.

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The initiative is designed to reduce terminal congestion, ease physical burden on pilgrims and improve passenger flow during one of the world’s busiest annual travel periods. Saudia is also expanding digital tools across the pilgrimage experience, such as AI-enabled booking and travel management. 

The move builds on the airline’s broader digital transformation efforts, including its recent adoption of Google’s smart baggage tracking technology. Travellers can now use the Find Hub Share Item Location feature to share real-time luggage location data during baggage delays or disruptions.

Following the Hajj travel window, Saudia is gearing up for increased services during summer with seasonal flights launching to eight destinations. From June to September, the carrier will fly to Salalah in Oman, El Alamein in Egypt, Nice in France, Málaga in Spain, Antalya and Bodrum in Türkiye and Athens and Mykonos in Greece. 

For more information, visit saudia.com