Türkiye Witnesses Launch of Makkah Route Initiative to Serve Pilgrims

After launching Makkah Route Initiative at Istanbul International Airport in the Republic of Türkiye, the Director General of the Saudi General Directorate of Passports, Major. General Sulaiman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Yahya, said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had launched it to facilitate the journey of Hajj and Umrah.

In remarks to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Maj. Gen. Al-Yahya, who is also the Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Makkah Route Initiative, a Saudi Ministry of Interior project within the Pilgrim Experience Program — said the initiative is one of the outcomes of Saudi Vision 2030.

Maj. Gen. Al-Yahya stressed that the initiative works to smoothly and conveniently finalize all travel procedures that pilgrims need in their home countries, starting with issuing electronic visas and collecting vital information, followed by streamlined passport procedures at the initiative-designated terminal at the departure country’s airport.

These steps are fulfilled after verifying the availability of health requirements and coding and sorting luggage according to transportation and housing arrangements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said the chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the Makkah Route Initiative.

He also indicated that these procedures are done for the pilgrims and Umrah performers to go directly to buses upon their arrival to take them to their residences in Makkah and Madinah, with designated tracks. At the same time, service agencies deliver their luggage to their residences.

He explained that the initiative is provided free of charge to all pilgrims of the Islamic countries that have joined the initiative.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior implements the initiative in seven countries for 2023: Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Türkiye, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

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