Reforming the Sacred: Hajj Modernisation, Vision 2030, and Saudi Arabia’s Geopolitical Stakes

Olivia Suthers | Middle East Fellow

Image sourced from Ekrem Osmanoglu via Unsplash.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has positioned the recent profound shifts in Saudi Arabia's governance, economy, and social landscape as the cornerstone of Vision 2030, “an ambitious strategy for an ambitious nation”, aimed at diversifying the economy, lowering reliance on oil, and portraying the Kingdom as a global leader. At the heart of this shift is a comprehensive rebranding of Saudi identity, which includes a reassessment of the religious regulations that have historically upheld the Kingdom's legitimacy both inside and outside of the Muslim world.

Among the most sensitive and geopolitically vital of these reforms are changes to the administration of the Hajj pilgrimage, a ritual that is fundamental to the Muslim community (ummah) globally and a key element of Saudi Arabia's soft power. The government has made several technological and legislative adjustments to improve the pilgrimage's effectiveness, safety, and accessibility. However, these modernisation efforts have also sparked concerns about inequality and the marginalisation of pilgrims from lower-income countries, threatening the Kingdom's symbolic role as the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites.

Hajj and the Saudi Brand: Modernisation as Diplomacy

The Hajj is one of the most powerful expressions of global Muslim unity, and one of the five pillars of Islam which all Muslims must adhere to where possible. Through symbolic acts like the tawaf (circumambulating the Ka’aba), donning the ihram garments, and gathering at Mount Arafat, pilgrims enact a centuries-old spiritual script that transcends geography, language, and class.

The Hajj is not just a religious obligation, but also provides a forum for Saudi Arabia's religious diplomacy and a means of projecting soft power abroad. With the Kingdom being home to some of the holiest places in Islam, its management of the pilgrimage is intimately tied to its global religious authority. In light of the increasing logistical challenges of hosting millions of pilgrims each year, Saudi authorities have introduced several reforms as part of the Vision 2030 ‘Pilgrim Experience Program’.

The Hajj Reforms

The Nusuk App forms the centrepiece of the Saudi government’s efforts to streamline the Hajj experience. This compulsory digital companion allows pilgrims to obtain permits for access to certain sites, as well as book travel packages and apply for Umrah visas. While the app streamlines Hajj procedures, the digitalisation of the experience may exclude pilgrims with limited technological literacy or those from low-income countries.

Another major change is the implementation of age-restrictions in an effort to reduce potential safety issues such as deaths from overcrowding. As part of these new measures, the Kingdom has banned children who are below a certain age from making the pilgrimage. While framed as a safety measure, these restrictions risk excluding families and those unable to travel without dependents.

Vision 2030 at a Crossroads: Inclusivity as Strategy

As it seeks to modernise pilgrims’ experience, the Saudi government must tread carefully to avoid perceptions of exclusivity or commodification of sacred religious traditions. While the recent Hajj reforms showcase Saudi Arabia’s innovation capabilities, they run the risk of alienating segments of the ummah, particularly pilgrims from the Global South, by raising costs and creating barriers to access.

For Vision 2030 to truly succeed, Saudi Arabia must strike a balance between its responsibilities as the Muslim world's spiritual hub and its aspirations for high-tech development. Beyond reputation, the stakes are geopolitical. An increasingly digitised and restrictive Hajj risks alienating significant allies and religious partners, especially in regions like Asia and Africa, where large Muslim communities see pilgrimage entry as a right rather than a privilege.

Saudi Arabia has an opportunity to reassert its moral leadership by revisiting the inclusivity of its Hajj reforms. This could begin with expanding access to the Nusuk platform globally, ensuring that all pilgrims, not just those with access to digital literacy, have secure booking options, multilingual support, and affordable payment mechanisms. Additionally, public health protocols must become more family-sensitive, replacing blanket age bans with flexible, risk-based assessments that accommodate multigenerational pilgrims while maintaining safety standards.

Finally, by collaborating with international Islamic organisations and regional partners to subsidise Hajj packages for low-income pilgrims, Saudi Arabia can reinforce the pilgrimage’s egalitarian spirit and strengthen its symbolic role as a unifying force in the Muslim world. This should include equitable visa management, with transparent quota systems that prioritise first-time pilgrims and disadvantaged applicants rather than reinforcing existing privileges.

Strategic Implications for the Region

In a shifting geopolitical landscape where regional rivals like Iran and Turkey are vying for religious and political influence, Saudi Arabia’s increasingly digitalised and exclusive approach to the Hajj risks transforming a pillar of Islamic unity into a reflection of global inequality, thereby weakening the Kingdom’s claim to moral and spiritual leadership in the Muslim world.

If Vision 2030 is to be more than just a blueprint for economic reform and truly reinvent Saudi Arabia's place in the world, the Kingdom must align its efforts at streamlining and securing Hajj with the geopolitical, ethical, and spiritual realities of the Islamic world. Reforming the Hajj is not merely a logistical or security concern; it has become a test of moral authority, religious leadership, and the Kingdom’s reliability as custodian of Islam.

Olivia Suthers is the Middle East Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs. Olivia is a recent graduate from the University of Western Australia, holding a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Asian Studies. Growing up, Olivia lived in Brunei and Qatar. This early experience sparked what would become a major passion for fostering cross cultural understanding, specifically regarding the frequently misunderstood region of the Middle East.