Cairo: The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, through its Central Administration for Tourism Companies, has announced the creation of a 24/7 operations room dedicated to monitoring the movement of buses transporting land pilgrimage tourists. This new initiative will track buses from their departure point at Egypt's Nuweiba Port and throughout their journey outside Egyptian territory. The operations room is a collaborative effort with the Egyptian Company for Tracking and Information Technology (ETIT).

According to State Information Service Egypt, this development is a part of the ministry's newly launched integrated electronic system, which aims to track these buses both within and beyond Egypt's borders. The system is aligned with directives from Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy, who is keen on enhancing the management of the tourism pilgrimage system by utilizing modern technological solutions for close monitoring of land pilgrimage trips.

Assistant Minister for Tourism and Antiquities for Tourism Companies, Samia Sami, stated that the ministry is employing a specialized technical team that operates in conjunction with ETIT to ensure round-the-clock monitoring. This team works within the ministry's General Department for Tourism Transport to keep track of buses along their route, which includes Nuweiba Port, Jordan's Aqaba Port, the Hajj route at Halat Ammar Border Crossing, and the Al-Noor area in Mecca. The monitoring continues until the pilgrims reach their accommodations in Mecca and Medina and also covers their return journey to Egypt.

Sami further noted that the land tourism Hajj trips from Egypt to Saudi Arabia are expected to continue until May 18. Throughout this period, approximately 6,000 Egyptian pilgrims will be transported on 130 tourist buses, ensuring a safe and well-coordinated pilgrimage experience.