RIYADH: Saudi Arabia launched the Makkah Route initiative in Senegal on Friday.
The launch, at Blaise Diagne International Airport, was attended by the acting director general of the General Directorate of Passports, Maj. Gen. Saleh Al-Murabba, along with several other officials.
The initiative enables all entry requirements for the Kingdom to be completed at the point of departure, including electronic issuance of Hajj visas, biometric data collection, and passport control.
In addition, luggage is coded and sorted according to accommodation arrangements in the Kingdom, allowing pilgrims to bypass airport procedures upon arrival and travel directly to their residences in Makkah and Madinah.
Since its launch in 2017, the Makkah Route initiative has served 1,254,994 pilgrims. It is led by the Ministry of Interior in collaboration with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Hajj and Umrah, and Media.
