Lost items at the Grand Mosque are handled by the Grand Mosque Security Force. File a report through Absher, then visit the lost items centre in the eastern courtyard beside Makkah Library. You get a reference number, and the centre runs around the clock with multilingual staff.
That is the short version. The longer version matters, because what you do in the first hour decides whether you get your phone back or spend three days asking strangers at the wrong gate.
Quick summary
| If you need to | Go here | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| File a report from anywhere | Absher, under Grand Mosque Security Force | Six steps, ends with a reference number |
| Hand in or collect an item | Lost items centre, eastern courtyard beside Makkah Library | Operates around the clock |
| Ask a question fast | WhatsApp or the centre landline | Staff speak several languages |
| Report a lost iqama or passport | Absher and Jawazat, not the mosque centre | Different system entirely |
| Get help with a lost child | Nearest guest care centre | 21 centres across both mosques |
Report it on Absher first
The reporting service is delivered electronically by the General Directorate of Public Security, not by the mosque staff directly. Al Yaum set out the route in January 2025 and it has not changed since:
- Log in to Absher.
- Open electronic services.
- Select the messages and electronic transactions system.
- Choose Grand Mosque Security Force as the recipient.
- Write your report and attach photos of the item if you have any.
- Submit, and keep the reference number you are given.
That reference number is the whole point of doing this online. Without it you are one anonymous person describing a black wallet to a counter that has seen four hundred black wallets this week. With it, your description sits in the same system the staff search when something is handed in.
Attach photos if you possibly can. A picture of your bag taken at the hotel, a photo of your phone case, a screenshot of your device serial number: any of these turn a vague claim into a match. Many expats in Saudi Arabia only think of this after the item is gone, which is exactly when the photos are impossible to take.
Describe the item the way a stranger would recognise it. Colour, brand, approximate size, distinguishing marks, and what was inside. If it was a phone, give the model and the lock screen image. If it was a bag, list two or three specific contents, because staff use those to verify ownership before handing anything over.
Go to the lost items centre in person
The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque opened a dedicated lost items centre in the eastern courtyard of Masjid al-Haram, next to the Makkah Library. Found property collected by cleaners, security and volunteers is logged there and matched against reports.
Go in person if you can. The online report puts you in the system, but a visit lets staff physically show you what has come in over the last day or two, and descriptions travel badly between languages. Bring your iqama or passport, and be ready to say what was inside the item.
The centre is staffed by people who work in several languages, which matters if your Arabic is limited and you are trying to explain that the wallet had a Bangladeshi driving licence and a photo of your daughter in it.
Contact numbers for the lost items centre
When the Authority publicised the centre, it gave two direct channels alongside the Absher route:
| Channel | Number |
|---|---|
| 050 432 1147 | |
| Landline | 012 575 1204, extension 106 |
Both were published in 2024 and reported again in Saudi press through that year. Numbers like these do occasionally change, so if a line does not connect, ask at any guest care centre inside the mosque rather than assuming the service has ended.
Lost your iqama, passport or bank card?
This is where people waste the most time. Identity documents are not handled through the mosque lost items centre. They go through the normal national channels.
- Iqama: report the loss through Absher and follow the Jawazat replacement process. If you are unsure how the residency permit itself works, our complete iqama guide for expats covers issuance, renewal and replacement.
- Passport: report it to your embassy or consulate in Riyadh or Jeddah as well as to the Saudi authorities. Do both. The embassy issues the travel document, the Saudi side clears your exit.
- Bank cards: freeze them in your banking app immediately. Do not wait to see whether the wallet turns up. A card blocked at 9pm costs you nothing, a card used at 9pm costs you a dispute process.
Still file the mosque report as well. Wallets do come in, and when they do, the documents inside come with them.
If you get separated from a child
The Authority operates two main guest care centres and 19 subsidiary centres across the Two Holy Mosques, open around the clock. Alongside guidance and baggage storage, they receive and care for lost children until families are reunited, and each centre can be located through QR codes posted inside the mosques.
There is also a preventive measure worth using before you enter. Identification wristband devices are installed at main entrances, including King Abdulaziz Gate, King Fahd Gate and the Ajyad Bridge, where staff print a wristband carrying your contact number for a child to wear. The same service has been extended to elderly visitors and people with visual impairments. It takes two minutes at the gate and removes the worst hour of your life.
Lost something at the Prophet’s Mosque instead
Madinah runs its own arrangement. The lost items office belonging to Haram security sits at the courtyard exit, office number 18. In the women’s prayer areas, found property is held for one week at the women’s section office in the eastern prayer area before it is transferred to the main lost and found.
That one week matters. If you lost something in the women’s section and go straight to the main office on day one, it may simply not be there yet. Ask in the section where you lost it first. If you are driving in, our Masjid al-Nabawi underground parking guide explains the entrances and which levels fill first.
How to not lose things in the first place
Use the free luggage storage service. There are four storage centres at the Grand Mosque: the western courtyard behind restrooms number 6, Ajyad Street beside restrooms number 1, the eastern courtyard next to the Makkah Library, and the services building in the Third Saudi Expansion. Collection points sit at King Abdulaziz Gate, King Fahd Gate (79), the Umrah Gate and Gate 100. The Prophet’s Mosque has a centre between exits 365 and 366.
The rules are simple and worth knowing before you queue:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cost | Free |
| Maximum storage time | 4 hours |
| Maximum bag weight | 7 kg |
| Permit | Umrah permit shown through the Nusuk app |
| Accepted | Bags only, not loose plastic bags |
| Not accepted | Valuables, food, medicine, prohibited goods |
| To collect | Bring the claim card you were given |
Note the last two lines carefully. Valuables are not accepted, so the storage centre is not a solution for your cash, gold or laptop. Carry those or leave them at the hotel safe. And the four hour limit means storage suits a tawaf and a prayer, not a full day out around the places to visit in Makkah.
Beyond that, the practical habits are dull and they work. Zip pockets only. Phone on a lanyard or in a front pocket, never a back one. Agree a meeting point with your family before you enter, because mobile signal inside the mataf during peak hours is unreliable. Choosing a quieter slot helps too, and our guide to the best times to perform Umrah breaks down crowd density by season and hour.
What this means for expats
If you live in Saudi Arabia and visit Makkah regularly, treat this as a procedure you already know rather than something to look up in a panic. Save the WhatsApp number. Photograph your bag and phone before you travel. Know that the report goes through Absher under the Grand Mosque Security Force, and that the physical centre is in the eastern courtyard beside the library.
One more thing, and it is the part people forget. If you find something that is not yours inside the Haram, hand it to the lost items centre or to any staff member. Do not carry it out and do not leave it where it lies. The entire system only works because most people do exactly that.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the lost items centre at the Grand Mosque?
It is in the eastern courtyard of Masjid al-Haram, next to the Makkah Library. The centre logs property handed in from across the mosque and matches it against reports. It operates around the clock and is staffed by people who work in several languages, so you do not need Arabic to use it.
How do I report a lost item at the Grand Mosque online?
Log in to Absher, open electronic services, select the messages and electronic transactions system, then choose Grand Mosque Security Force. Write your report, attach photos of the item if you have them, and submit. You will receive a reference number, which you should keep and quote in any follow up.
Can I report a lost iqama or passport at the mosque lost items centre?
No. Identity documents go through the national channels instead. Report a lost iqama through Absher and the Jawazat replacement process, and report a lost passport to your embassy or consulate as well as the Saudi authorities. File the mosque report too, because wallets containing documents are often handed in.
What should I do if my child gets separated from me inside the Grand Mosque?
Go to the nearest guest care centre. The Authority runs two main centres and 19 subsidiary centres across the Two Holy Mosques, open around the clock, and they receive and care for lost children until families are reunited. Before entering, get an identification wristband printed at a main gate.
Is luggage storage at the Grand Mosque free?
Yes. The service is free and available around the clock. Storage is limited to four hours, bags must not exceed 7 kg, and you show your Umrah permit through the Nusuk app. Valuables, food and medicine are not accepted, and you need your claim card to collect the bag.
