IoT Implementation in Slaughterhouses Supply Chain: A Case Study of the Adahi Experiment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Hajj season holds immense significance for Muslims globally, attracting millions of pilgrims annually to engage in sacred rituals. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as the host of this pilgrimage, extends a range of services to facilitate and enhance the pilgrims’ experience. Among these services, the provision of sacrificial animals for Udhiyah and Hadi, integral components of Hajj rituals, is crucial and managed by organizations like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian Project for the Benefit of Udhiyah and Sacrifices (Adahi). Adahi’s primary mission is to execute sacrificial rituals on behalf of Hajj pilgrims, ensuring the seamless progression of religious practices. Embracing technological advancements, particularly the Internet of Things (IoT), has become pivotal in enhancing various sectors, including the food supply chain. In Saudi Arabia, Adahi conducts a noteworthy experiment during Hajj, utilizing IoT to count slaughtered cattle in the supply chain. This study seeks to elucidate and assess the role and impact of IoT in Adahi’s experiment, proposing a conceptual framework to enhance monitoring, counting, and tracking of slaughtered cattle during Hajj within Adahi slaughterhouses. The study adopts a descriptive methodology, thoroughly reviewing contemporary literature to identify technological gaps in automatically measuring and inspecting post-harvest meat safety during the slaughtering process. The authors recognize the challenge of implementing IoT, specifically Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), on a large scale, such as Adahi, due to associated infrastructure and chip costs. This study aims to propose a conceptual framework for an IoT-based meat monitoring system within Adahi’s slaughterhouses, contributing to technological advancements and ensuring the safety and efficiency of the Hajj sacrificial rituals.