Saudi Arabia launches ‘Road to Makkah’ initiative for Hajj pilgrims

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has launched the ‘Road to Makkah’ initiative in five countries including Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, and Bangladesh for the fourth year since launching the initiative in 2019.

The country’s ministry of interior said that the “Road to Makkah” initiative aims to receive Hajj pilgrims and complete their procedures from their countries with ease.

It starts with issuing the visa electronically and taking the vital characteristics and then passing through the complete passport procedures at the airport of the country of departure after verifying the availability of health requirements.

The procedures also include coding and sorting pilgrims’ luggage to send to their place of residency. Upon their arrival, they move directly to buses to take them to their places of residence in Makkah and Madinah with designated paths while the service authorities deliver their luggage to their place of residency.

The ministry implements the initiative in cooperation with the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Hajj and Umrah, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority “SDAIA”, “Doyof (Guests) Al Rahman Program”, one of the Saudi Vision 2030 executive programs, the General Directorate of Passports, and Elm Company.