Makkah Route Initiative Concludes Successful Operations, Serves 314,337 Pilgrims from 8 Countries

The Makkah Route Initiative, one of the Ministry of Interior’s flagship efforts under the Pilgrims Experience Program of Saudi Vision 2030, has successfully concluded its operations for this year’s Hajj season. The initiative operated from 12 airports across eight countries: Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Türkiye, Côte d’Ivoire, and—participating for the first time—the Republic of Maldives. All beneficiaries have now arrived in the Kingdom.

 Implemented by the Ministry of Interior in cooperation with various partner entities, the Makkah Route Initiative served a total of 314,337 pilgrims. These pilgrims departed on 899 flights from the initiative’s dedicated lounges, bound for King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.

 The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to provide high-quality, streamlined services to pilgrims from participating countries by completing key travel procedures in their home countries. These procedures include collecting biometric data, electronically issuing Hajj visas, completing passport control at the departure airport after health verification, and coding and sorting luggage in line with each pilgrim’s transportation and accommodation arrangements in the Kingdom. Upon arrival, pilgrims are transferred by bus to their residences in Makkah and Madinah, while their luggage is delivered directly by partner agencies.