(Minister of Media, Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari, inspects media operations, Photo: Ministry of Media, Saudi Arabia)

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Media, in collaboration with 50 government agencies, has established an extensive media infrastructure to facilitate the work of local and international journalists covering the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

A Virtual Press Center (VPC), operating 24/7, has been established to provide media services such as videos and images to over 1100 reporters from both domestic and international outlets.

The VPC has made available more than 1500 press materials for journalists to date. Additionally, it will broadcast Hajj press conferences in five languages for a three-day period during the peak of Hajj.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) is coordinating with the ministry and has set up a press operation room, which serves as the hub for supervising and coordinating field reporters at the holy sites of Mina, Arafat, and Al-Awali. This room, along with four other media centers established by the SPA, offers support to international news agencies.

Other facilities include the Audiovisual Media headquarters at the Ministry of Media’s Arafat headquarters, the studios of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority at the Jamaraat Bridge, and a media center of the Saudi Press Agency at Arafat that has been fully equipped to facilitate the work of journalists and international media partners at the site.