The atmosphere of the Nusuk Media Trip workshop at the Mövenpick Hotel, Medina on October 24 2024.
MADINAH – THENUSANTARAPOST.COM – As part of an effort to introduce and test the digital platform Nusuk, the Ministry of Tourism Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invited media leaders from several Islamic countries, including Indonesia, to participate in the Nusuk Media Trip, held from October 23-26, 2024.
The event aims to showcase the Nusuk platform, which provides comprehensive information and services for Umrah pilgrims and tourists visiting the Holy Land. During the trip, participants stayed at two luxury hotels, Mövenpick Hotel in Madinah and Address Jabal Omar Hotel in Makkah. The agenda included workshops, meetings with the Tourism Authority, and the precious opportunity to perform Umrah at Masjid al-Haram. Marwan, founder of Mediajakarta.com and representative from Indonesia, was among the participants.
Marwan praised the development of the Nusuk app by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, seeing it as a strategic step to support Umrah and Hajj services. “The Nusuk app is very helpful. For further improvement, I suggest the app includes multi-language support, including Indonesian, to make it easier for pilgrims to navigate,” Marwan recommended.
He also proposed extensive promotion of the Nusuk app in Indonesia, targeting both the government and travel agencies. “Inshallah, with the addition of multi-language features, including Indonesian, and massive outreach for Nusuk, more Indonesians will be encouraged to visit the Holy Land for Umrah and Hajj,” he added.
Earlier, from October 16-20, 2024, the Nusuk team also invited Muhammad Anas, founder of Indonesiaalyoum.com, to participate in a similar workshop in Saudi Arabia. The event was attended by media representatives from countries such as Egypt, Jordan, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
“I would like to thank the Saudi Tourism Authority, CEO STA Mr. Mussab Hashem, and the team for this honor, this extraordinary opportunity and experience,” said Muhammad Anas, founder of Indonesiaalyoum.com.
During the workshop, Anas provided constructive suggestions to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to attract 30 million Umrah visitors each year. He emphasized the importance of catering to Indonesia’s middle-class Muslims who tend to prefer performing Umrah independently without going through travel agencies.
Sami Al Ghadban, a Nusuk team member who accompanied the participants throughout the trip, expressed appreciation and respect for the international guests. “Welcome. It is an honor to welcome you here in the Holy Land for this meaningful international gathering. Please consider this place as your own home,” Sami said warmly, inviting participants to enjoy a dinner prepared by Mövenpick Hotel in Madinah, where the Nusuk Media Trip guests stayed. The hotel’s prime location beside Masjid Nabawi offered participants ease of access for worship and exploration of historic sites surrounding the mosque.
In addition, Yusuf Stapic, another member of the Nusuk Media Trip organizing committee, expressed his gratitude for the participants’ involvement in the event. “We appreciate your participation in the Nusuk Media Trip. We hope this journey provides valuable experiences for all participants,” said Yusuf in a message shared via WhatsApp.
Through the Nusuk Media Trip initiative, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism Authority reaffirms its commitment to making Umrah pilgrimage journeys easier with the support of modern technology.
Nusuk Media Trip participants are optimistic about Nusuk’s development, hoping it will become not only an essential source of information for pilgrims but also a reliable partner in planning spiritual journeys to Makkah and Madinah. (Marwan)
