Saudi tests ‘nap pods’

The kingdom tests Japan-inspired capsule hotels for hajj as the pilgrimage begins.

Mansour al-Amer swipes a card to reveal a narrow sleep pod, reminiscent of Japan’s famed capsule hotels. But this pod is in Saudi Arabia, where the Muslim hajj pilgrimage begins Sunday. The kingdom has plans to introduce capsule rooms in the western city of Mina in the coming days, as an estimated two million Muslim faithful gather for the six-day hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam. T

he free nap pods are part of new measures Saudi Arabia is rolling out this year in a bid to modernise the centuries-old practice of hajj. The government has also introduced apps for on-the-spot translation and emergency medical care. Amer is the head of a Saudi charity, the Haji and Mutamer Gift Charitable Association, which is offering between 18 and 24 capsule for pilgrims to nap in for free in the coming days.

Each fibreglass pod -- less than three metres long and just over one metre high -- features a mattress, clean sheets, air conditioning and a large, well-lit mirror.