The Grand Mosque in Makkah Mukarramah is now providing pilgrims with a mobile phone app that can keep track of their rounds during the Tawaaf or circumambulation. The app is available through the Google Play Store and can be downloaded and connected to the mosque's system. It issues an alert when the pilgrim completes the seventh and last round, Arab News reported on Thursday.
Bandar Al-Khazeem, director of the information technology centre of the Grand Mosque, said the app has been developed with Umm Al-Qura University's technical innovation center.
"The Tawaaf application helps you track the number of completed rounds and informs you when your Tawaaf is complete. The application uses a mix of sensors in smartphone such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and motion sensors to determine your location within the Haram," according to information provided on the app store by the developers.