How to Book Electric Sa'i Carts at the Grand Mosque of Makkah: Steps, Prices, and Pickup Points

The method of booking electric Sa'i carts at the Grand Mosque of Makkah relies on the "Nusuk" app or the "Tanaqqol" app, both belonging to the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque of Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque, where your digital ticket is issued with a quick response code (QR Code) before arrival to avoid the long queues. The process is completed within a few minutes from your phone, and it guarantees you and your family a ready seat that takes you between Safa and Marwah without the trouble of chasing brokers or standing in the manual waiting lanes amid the crowds.

Approved Platforms for Booking Mas'a Carts at the Grand Mosque of Makkah

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has restricted the management of carts inside the Grand Mosque of Makkah to official digital channels to block unlicensed intermediaries and unify the on-site pricing. Advance online booking is the only option that guarantees you cart availability during peak times such as Ramadan nights, Fridays, and the annual Hajj and Umrah seasons.

You sometimes find immediate ticket sales offices at the entrances leading to the Mas'a, but relying on them involves a real risk of the quotas available for that hour running out, which forces you to change the time of performing the ritual or to wait for hours with physically exhausted companions.

Booking Through the Nusuk App

The Nusuk app primarily serves visitors of the Grand Mosque of Makkah by linking the Umrah permit to all the supporting logistics services. After opening the app and verifying your account via the "Absher" platform or with the visa number for non-residents, go to the "Two Holy Mosques Services" tab and from there to the "Transportation and Transit" section.

Nusuk allows you to schedule the electric cart booking in direct synchronization with the time of the Umrah permit issued to you, which reduces the possibility of a timing conflict arising between finishing Tawaf and beginning the Sa'i circuits.

The Unified Tanaqqol Transport Platform and the Tanaqqol App

The "Tanaqqol" app operates as a specialized operational arm run by the company operating the field services under direct supervision from the Authority. The app is distinguished by high flexibility for those who need Sa'i only without linkage to a new Umrah permit; such as performing Tawaf Al-Ifadah, or for those who perform Sa'i voluntarily or as qada' (in fulfillment of a duty).

The app is available for download on smart devices (Android and iOS). You can register with your Saudi or international mobile number and complete the booking in direct steps without needing to enter the lengthy procedures of the visa and general permit platforms.

How to Book Electric Sa'i Carts Step by Step

Avoiding errors in entering the data spares you ticket cancellation or standing at the wrong pickup point inside the Mosque's expansion. Follow this procedural path within the app:

1. Sign in to the "Tanaqqol" app or open the transport services window within the "Nusuk" app.
2. Set the date using the Hijri or Gregorian calendar and choose the time period that suits your expected finish time from the Tawaf around the Holy Kaaba.
3. Choose the service type: "Sa'i only" to head directly down to the Safa and Marwah route.
4. Specify the cart class according to the pilgrim's physical ability (a self-driving cart or a seat in a group cart driven by a driver).
5. Enter the beneficiary's data and the ID or passport number.
6. Complete the electronic payment via mada, Visa, or Apple Pay (Apple Pay).
7. Save the digital ticket containing the quick response code in your photo gallery or phone wallet (Apple Wallet) to use it without the need for an internet connection inside the ground floors.

Determining the Trip Type Between Sa'i Alone and Full Umrah

A wide segment of pilgrims makes the mistake of booking "Tawaf and Sa'i" together in one package on the assumption that the route is unified, whereas the departure locations of the Tawaf carts on the upper floor or the rooftop differ from the stations of the independent Sa'i carts on the mezzanine floor. If you are able to perform Tawaf on foot and need assistance with Sa'i only, due to the length of the seven circuits (approximately 2.8 kilometers), then choose the "Sa'i only" option. This specification saves you the ticket value and directs you straight to the Mas'a mezzanine gates.

Choosing the Right Cart Class for the Pilgrim and Their Companions

The Grand Mosque of Makkah provides three distinct styles of electric carts, and each style has specific operational characteristics:

• Shared golf carts: Large vehicles seating several passengers, driven by an official employee of the Authority. They are considered the optimal solution for elderly pilgrims who are not skilled at handling the manual speed control, or for those who lose concentration amid human gatherings.
• Individual electric carts (self-driving): Light three- or four-wheeled scooters, equipped with a manual speed control and automatic brakes. The pilgrim drives them personally, and they suit those who have motor awareness and the ability to steer and avoid crowds.
• Double electric carts (two persons): A wide seat accommodating the pilgrim and their companion, driven by one of them. Designated for parents accompanied by one of their children, to control the cart's path and provide direct support throughout the circuits.

Confirming the Appointment, Paying the Fees, and Issuing the Barcode

The booking is not considered complete merely by filling in the fields; rather, it is tied to a payment window not exceeding 15 minutes before the booking is automatically cancelled. Make sure the online purchasing service is activated for your bank card, and use a "mada" card to avoid the international transfer fees imposed on foreign cards if you reside inside the Kingdom.

As soon as you receive the confirmation text message, keep the barcode and display it to the sorting employee at the designated route gate. Scanning the barcode grants you immediate permission to receive the vehicle without signing papers or paying cash security deposits at the location.

Cost of Booking Sa'i and Golf Carts at the Grand Mosque of Makkah

Prices are subject to periodic review by the supervising Authority to ensure fairness of the service and prevent commercial exploitation. The prices include the value-added tax applied in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:

Note: The licensed green manual cart operators of the Authority, who take charge of pushing the cart on your behalf, carry an official unified fare displayed on their chests, issued by the cart administration. Do not pay any additional amounts exceeding the figure written on their official badges.

Electric Sa'i Cart Pickup Locations and Access Routes

The main operational route for the electric carts designated for Sa'i is located on the first mezzanine floor, dedicated entirely to this category in order to free the ground floor for pedestrians and prevent collision accidents. Reaching this floor without ascending the escalators with elderly pilgrims requires the use of precisely designated routes.

The best entrances equipped with direct electric elevators to the Sa'i mezzanine:

• Ajyad bridge entrance: Serves those arriving from the direction of the King Abdulaziz Waqf towers and the Kudi area. You can enter via the smooth ramp leading directly to the cart departure station without passing through the Mataf courtyard.
• Shubeikah entrance (Shubeikah bridge): The ideal route for those staying in the Jabal Omar hotels or on the Ibrahim Al Khalil Street side. The elevated walkway takes you directly to the western courtyards connected to the cart route.
• Al-Arqam stairs and Al-Salam gate elevators: Provide fast vertical access from the eastern external courtyards opposite the Jabal Khandamah project toward the start of the Safa leg on the upper Mas'a.

Look for the green informational signs written in both Arabic and English: "Electric Cart Service - Mas'a Mezzanine". Avoid entering through the main ground-floor entrances if the pilgrim is unable to walk medium distances, because reaching the mezzanine stations from the ground courtyard entails winding through long corridors that may consume unnecessary time and effort.

Cancellation and Booking Refund Conditions: What to Watch Out For

The "Tanaqqol" platform allows cancelling the booking and recovering the monetary value, provided that the request is made at least two hours before the trip's start time. The right to a refund is lost after the specified deadline passes and the reserved booking time begins, as the ticket is considered void once the time period is activated on the Authority's servers.

Depositing the refunded amounts into your bank account takes a period ranging from 7 to 14 business days, depending on the card-issuing bank. If you encounter a technical problem, such as the barcode failing at the station or the amount being deducted twice while completing the payment, go immediately to the field supervisor's office for cart administration, located next to the Safa platform on the mezzanine floor, to file a manual report with the booking number instead of leaving the site without documenting the case.

Criteria for Choosing the Right Cart for Elderly Pilgrims and Persons with Limited Mobility

Do not choose the cart based on the lowest price; rather, divide the decision according to the pilgrim's health condition:

• Patients with tremors, visual impairment, and stroke survivors: Booking self-steering electric carts for them is strictly prohibited. Sudden acceleration or an error in handling the control amid the human density exposes them and others to the risk of collision. The correct alternative here is the shuttle golf cart driven by an Authority driver.
• The mentally alert pilgrim with limited physical activity: The self-driving individual cart is an excellent option that gives them independence in the pace of performing the ritual and stopping for supplications at both ends of Safa and Marwah whenever they wish.
• Excess weight and accompaniment by a relative: The double cart option surpasses all solutions, as it allows the son or the companion to drive the vehicle smoothly while the pilgrim sits comfortably in the adjacent seat.

Check now that your mobile phone is charged and open the Nusuk app to book a Sa'i appointment with a time gap of no less than two hours from your expected arrival time at the Grand Mosque of Makkah; this gap gives you ample room to finish Tawaf calmly, drink Zamzam water, and reach the Safa mezzanine delivery station without time pressure disrupting your plan.