Ministry of Interior Expands Makkah Route Initiative to 10 Countries for Eighth Year

The Ministry of Interior continues the implementation of the Makkah Route Initiative for its eighth consecutive year, expanding the service to 17 entry points across 10 countries. As a flagship project of the Pilgrim Experience Program under Saudi Vision 2030, the initiative now includes Senegal and Brunei Darussalam for the first time, joining Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Türkiye, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Maldives.

 The initiative is designed to provide a seamless, high-quality Hajj experience by completing all entry procedures in the pilgrims' home countries. This includes the electronic issuance of Hajj visas, passport control, and health requirement verification at the departure airport. Additionally, luggage is coded and sorted according to housing arrangements in Saudi Arabia, allowing pilgrims to board dedicated buses upon arrival in Makkah and Madinah without waiting at baggage claim.

 Since its launch in 2017, the Makkah Route Initiative has served 1,254,994 pilgrims. The project is a collaborative effort involving the ministries of foreign affairs, health, hajj and umrah, and media, alongside the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, the General Authority for Awqaf, the Pilgrim Experience Program, and the General Directorate of Passports, in partnership with the stc group as the primary digital enabler.