JEDDAH: The Saudi Ministry of Interior has launched its fourth Makkah Route initiative to smooth pilgrims’ Hajj journey and provide a top-quality service.
It also aims to ensure that all health requirements are met in the targeted countries before the Kingdom’s entry visa is issued.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Health Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, the Guests of God Service Program, Saudi Passports, and the Saudi digital security firm Elm Co.
It is part of Saudi Arabia's Guests of God Service Program, which King Salman inaugurated in 2019 and seeks to provide visitors to the holy sites with the finest possible services to help them perform their Hajj rituals easily and comfortably.
It includes issuing visas, ensuring compliance with health requirements, and codifying and sorting luggage at airports in pilgrims’ home countries. Five countries are featured in the initiative: Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, and Bangladesh.
Pilgrims arriving from these countries can bypass entry procedures on their arrival in the Kingdom, go directly to the buses waiting for them, and travel to their accommodation in Makkah and Madinah. Their luggage is handled and delivered directly to them at their accommodation.
