Saudi Arabia launches Virtual Black Stone initiative

Saudi Arabia has launched an initiative to enable Muslims to touch the Black Stone at the Kaaba in Mecca virtually through the Virtual Reality (VR) technology, local media reported.

The Virtual Black Stone initiative was launched by Head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosque, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais.

The initiative consists of a simulation of the main Muslim pilgrimage sites in Mecca that, from now on, can be visited from home thanks to virtual reality.

The Hajr Aswad, or Black Stone, is laid into one corner of the Kaaba, located in Mecca’s Great Mosque, the holiest site in Islam.

The “Virtual Black Stone Initiative” allows Muslims to “experience the Hajr Aswad virtually prior to the pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca)”, according to the official Haramain Facebook account.

The Haramain – translating as “the two sanctuaries” – refers to Mecca and Medina and specifically the two holy mosques there.

The New Arab said Al-Sudais, whose department is separate from but collaborates with the Haramain organisation, inaugurated the programme on Monday, according to his office’s website.

The initiative is a project of the Exhibitions and Museums Affairs Agency, working with Umm Al-Qura University.

While inaugurating the programme, Al-Sudais said it was crucial to have a simulation that engages not only sight and hearing but also touch and smell.

The general president said the Mecca and Medina mosques contain much historic and Islamic heritage, adding that this should be digitised for everyone.

Several other university and government officials were present at the opening event. These include Turki bin Suleiman Al-Amro, who is head of the institute at Umm Al-Qura University that was involved in creating the Virtual Black Stone project.

It was not immediately clear how and when the public will have access to virtual reality technology.

In May, Saudi Arabian authorities released new pictures that offer a never-before-seen close up view of the Black Stone in the Kaaba in Mecca.

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques captured the details on the Black Stone – known as Hajar Aswad in Arabic – with a new technique that uses stacked panoramic focus.

The stone is set within a pure silver covering and is located in the corner of the Kaaba, about a meter and a half from the ground.