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AI-Powered Mobility: Bahaa’s Vision for an Optimized Pilgrimage Experience

Sep 23, 2025

By Bahaa Alshalalfah, QF Alumnus
Partner and Vice President for Transportation and PMCM at SETS International

By Bahaa Alshalalfah, QF Alumnus
Partner and Vice President for Transportation and PMCM at SETS International

From Palestine to the Global Mobility Stage 
My journey started in Tarqumya, a small village near the City of Hebron, Palestine, where I first developed my passion for engineering and urban planning. After earning my bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Birzeit University, I sought to further my education and expertise in a field I believed could positively impact lives: transportation. In 2002, I received a prestigious scholarship from the Qaddumi Foundation, which allowed me to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Toronto in Canada. That moment marked a significant turning point in my life. 
I earned my master’s degree in 2004, and driven by greater curiosity and a strong commitment to the field, I received a PhD scholarship at the same university, focusing on transportation planning and engineering. This academic background has not only shaped my technical skills but also deepened my understanding of how transportation and mobility systems impact the social and economic fabric of cities. 
Today, I specialize in urban mobility, traffic management, transportation systems design, and strategic transport planning, with a focus on applying smart, innovative, human-centered solutions to some of the world’s most urgent mobility challenges in the most complex urban settings. 
The mobility sector is much more than vehicles and roads; it is a complex and dynamic ecosystem that is a vital driver of economic growth, social inclusion, and urban efficiency. From accessing education and healthcare to moving labor and goods, efficient and innovative transportation systems can unlock human potential and help create thriving cities. 
What sets transportation planning and engineering apart is the ongoing development and adaptation to technological advancements and innovations. Today, technology plays a vital role in transportation systems, from advanced self-driving (autonomous) vehicles to numerous intelligent and smart transportation systems implemented worldwide, enhancing the efficiency and quality of travel. 

My journey from Hebron to global transport leadership demonstrates what I’ve always believed: the most significant changes often start with a single step.

My Experience as Partner and Senior Director of Transportation

My Experience as Partner and Senior Director of Transportation

Founded in 2004, Smart Engineering and Transport Solutions (SETS) is one of the region’s top providers of specialized solutions in roads, mobility, transportation, water assets and infrastructure, electromechanical engineering, sustainability, architecture, landscaping, public realm, environmental engineering, and structural engineering.

SETS delivers a full range of services, including strategy, program, project, and construction management, as well as design and planning, all supported by strong expertise in data analysis, Artificial Intelligence, and advanced technologies.

As Partner and Senior Director of Transportation at SETS, one of the most significant experiences of my career was overseeing the Transport Control Center project for the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC). This initiative required not only extensive expertise in transportation planning and systems integration but also strategic leadership to coordinate diverse stakeholders, technologies, and operational goals into a single unified vision. 
Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, we helped ensure that every aspect of the project, from system architecture and AI deployment to field operations and user experience, met the highest international standards. This challenge reaffirmed our belief in the power of smart infrastructure to create a meaningful impact at scale. Through this project, we showed how AI and digital mobility solutions can be seamlessly integrated into the cultural and spiritual fabric of a city like Makkah—serving both people and purpose. 
AI-Powered Mobility at the RCMC Transport Control Center   
During the 2025 / 1446 Ramadan and Hajj seasons, RCMC, through its General Transport Center (GTC), launched a significant initiative to transform the way millions of pilgrims travel through the Holy City. At the core of this change was the deployment of a state-of-the-art Transport Control Center, designed and implemented by SETS. 

Our task was precise but highly complex: to create a future-ready platform capable of handling the scale, sensitivity, and dynamism of Makkah’s peak pilgrimage season. We delivered not only a control center, but also a paradigm shift in how mobility is managed during mass events.

Under my leadership, and with the support of a highly talented cross-functional team, SETS developed and deployed an AI-driven Mobility Management System that became the core of transport operations in Makkah during Ramadan and the Hajj seasons. This system integrated real-time data from across the city, providing operational dashboards for decision-makers, enabling predictive traffic management, and ensuring quick responses to traffic congestion or disruptions to the transport system. 

During Ramadan, the system facilitated the smooth movement of over 60 million worshippers. For Hajj, the stakes were even higher with over 1.7 million pilgrims expected. The team expanded the system’s capabilities to include field simulations, live monitoring, entry point tracking, and fully customized stakeholder dashboards. We deployed a dedicated team of 10 AI developers and on-ground staff to ensure round-the-clock monitoring, analysis, and intervention from early May through mid-June.

This project stood out for how it merged SETS’ legacy in transportation planning with its expanding AI and digital services capabilities. The control center wasn’t a passive monitoring tool; it was a proactive engine for operational excellence, built with safety, reliability, and passenger experience at its core.
This achievement proves SETS’ strategic foresight, our team’s relentless dedication, and the belief that smart, compassionate infrastructure can lift entire cities, especially during their most sacred and demanding moments. 
The Mobility Management Landscape in the Middle East 
The mobility and travel management landscape in the Middle East is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by strong political will, population growth, rapid urbanization, economic development, and technological innovations. GCC countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are investing heavily in smart mobility solutions as part of broader visions such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s Smart Mobility Strategy.
These efforts include developing integrated public transportation systems, promoting electric and autonomous vehicles (EVs and AVs), implementing smart and intelligent transport management systems (ITS) and platforms, and integrating AI into transport and mobility management. These initiatives are enabling major infrastructure projects in GCC countries, such as high-speed rail networks, intelligent transport systems, and autonomous vehicle pilot projects.
Despite the recent progress, the Middle East region faces challenges, such as fragmented regulations, limited cross-border coordination, and slow adoption of smart mobility solutions. The next decade is expected to see continued evolution toward a more connected, data-driven, and sustainable mobility ecosystem in the Middle East. 
SETS’ Vision for the Future of Smart Mobility 

SETS envisions a future where cities are supported by intelligent, responsive, and sustainable mobility systems.

To realize this vision, we are actively integrating artificial intelligence into the planning, design, and operation of transportation projects to enhance efficiency, safety, and user experience.

Our vision is to develop AI-powered systems, tailored to the unique needs of each city and community, for monitoring real-time travel and mobility patterns, as well as traffic and parking conditions, using sensors, cameras, and computer vision technologies.