Case study · № 012 · 2024
AR MAKKAH MADINA · pick the route, pick the ride
A ride-booking app used during the Hajj and Umrah seasons in Saudi Arabia: choose a route from set stops, see what each vehicle costs for your party, and contact the operator to book.
The problem
During Hajj and Umrah, large numbers of travellers need rides between a small set of known places. They do not need live GPS tracking or a dispatch fleet. They need to pick where they are going, see what it costs for their group and luggage, and reach the operator to book.
AR Makkah Madina Travels was a booking app scoped exactly to that.
The build
- Route selection from predefined stops: choose a from and a to, rather than arbitrary points on a map.
- Fare by vehicle: the app shows what each vehicle type costs, and the traveller picks based on passenger count and luggage.
- Contact to book: the traveller reaches the operator on WhatsApp or a call to confirm, and payment is cash, after the ride.
- A React Native app on Firebase, with an operator backend to update pricing.
Decisions that mattered
Scope out live tracking on purpose. A full ride-hailing stack would have been the wrong tool. Predefined stops and a contact-to-book flow matched how these seasonal rides actually get arranged.
Price by party, not just distance. Passengers and luggage decide the right vehicle, so the fare view is organised around fitting the group, not only the route.
Give the operator the controls. Prices shift by season and demand, so a backend for the owner to edit pricing was essential to it being usable in the real world.
Outcome
Ran on Google Play during the Hajj and Umrah seasons as a lightweight booking tool between set destinations. It is currently delisted, but it did its narrow job well: match a party to the right vehicle and get them in touch to book.