Indonesia says Makkah Route initiative ‘extremely helpful’ in serving Hajj pilgrims

In this file photo, an Indonesian Hajj pilgrim passes through the immigration process under the Makkah Route initiative in Jakarta before boarding a flight to Saudi Arabia on May 24, 2023. (SPA)

• Indonesia among 7 Muslim countries where Saudi Arabia opened Makkah Route
• About 55,000 pilgrims flying from Jakarta airport are assisted under the fast-track program

JAKARTA: Saudi Arabia’s flagship Makkah Route initiative is extremely helpful in serving pilgrims from Indonesia, Hajj authorities said on Thursday, with the last batch of pilgrims set to depart from the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation later this week.
Indonesia is among seven Muslim-majority countries — alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Morocco, Turkiye and Cote d’Ivoire — where Saudi Arabia opened its Makkah Route initiative.
Almost 230,000 Indonesian pilgrims are expected to perform the spiritual journey this year, with the Southeast Asian country sending the biggest contingent of any country.
“Makkah Route, which we know better as fast track, is accelerating arrivals of Hajj pilgrims in Madinah and Jeddah airports,” Haryanto, who is in charge of airport operations with the Indonesian Hajj Organization Committee, told Arab News.
“This fast track has been extremely helpful in speeding up our services for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims. Their arrivals have been going very smoothly.”
Launched in 2019, the initiative is dedicated to Hajj pilgrims and allows them to fulfill all visa, customs and health requirements at the airport of origin, saving long hours of waiting. On arrival, pilgrims can enter the Kingdom faster, having already gone through visa and customs processes back home.
The program was available for about 55,000 Indonesian pilgrims flying from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta.
With Indonesia’s special Hajj operations set to conclude on Saturday, Haryanto is also hoping for more coordination with the Kingdom’s authorities.
“This is to ease, smooth out the process of accepting Hajj pilgrim arrivals from Indonesia, which will also benefit the Saudi people. We need coordination and communication,” Haryanto said.
“The fast track has been going very well; it speeds things up. I am hoping for more assistance on the non-fast track route.”