*RIYADH – Mansour al-Amer swipes a card to reveal a narrow sleep pod,reminiscent of Japan’s famed capsule hotels. But this pod is in SaudiArabia, where the Muslim hajj pilgrimage begins Sunday.*

The kingdom has plans to introduce capsule rooms in the western city ofMina in the coming days, as an estimated two million Muslim faithful gatherfor the six-day hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.

The free nap pods are part of new measures Saudi Arabia is rolling out thisyear in a bid to modernise the centuries-old practice of hajj.

The government has also introduced apps for on-the-spot translation andemergency medical care.

Amer is the head of a Saudi charity, the Haji and Mutamer Gift CharitableAssociation, which is offering between 18 and 24 capsule for pilgrims tonap in for free in the coming days.