Bangladesh Pilgrims Benefit from Makkah Route Initiative

In its seventh year, the Makkah Route Initiative—led by the Ministry of Interior—continues its journey in Southeast Asia for the fifth time, returning to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. With a population of around 170 million people who primarily speak Bengali, the initiative is implemented in collaboration with several Saudi government entities, including the ministries of foreign affairs, health, Hajj and Umrah, and media; as well as the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), General Authority for Awqaf, the Pilgrim Experience Program, and the General Directorate of Passports.
 Bangladesh first benefited from the initiative in 2019, following its launch in 2017, and has continued in subsequent years—2022, 2023, and 2024. This year, in 2025, the initiative once again serves pilgrims at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, where Saudi teams equipped with advanced technology and representing partner agencies facilitated pre-departure procedures with ease and efficiency. Pilgrims departed for King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah with a sense of peace, having completed all travel formalities in their home country.
 The Makkah Route Initiative aims to deliver high-quality services to pilgrims from participating countries, allowing them to complete all travel procedures at their country of origin. These include biometric data collection, electronic visa issuance, passport control after verifying health requirements, and luggage tagging according to transport and accommodation arrangements in the Kingdom. Pilgrims are then transferred directly to buses upon arrival in Saudi Arabia to their accommodations in Makkah and Madinah, while their luggage is delivered separately by partner agencies.