RIYADH: Nearly 37,000 Hajj pilgrims from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia arrived in Saudi Arabia aboard 90 flights between July 4 and July 11 as part of the Makkah Route initiative, Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Passports announced this week.
“33 flights carrying 13,317 pilgrims arrived through Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport, while 57 flights carrying 23,427 pilgrims arrived through Madinah’s Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz International Airport,” the directorate said, as 36,744 Hajj pilgrims were recorded arriving in the Kingdom during the period.
Pilgrims received a warm welcome from all bodies taking part in the initiative from the moment they left their countries to the moment they arrived at their residences in either Makkah or Madinah, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Makkah Route initiative is expected to serve more than 225,000 pilgrims coming from airports in Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Tunisia.
The service includes issuing visas, ensuring compliance with health requirements and codifying and sorting luggage at airports in the pilgrims’ own countries.
This enables them to bypass procedures on arrival in the Kingdom and to head directly to buses waiting to transport them to their accommodation in Makkah and Madinah.
Service authorities deliver pilgrims’ luggage to their accommodation in the holy cities.
The initiative aims to provide the best service possible for pilgrims by completing their entry into the Kingdom from airports in their countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs grants beneficiaries of the initiative e-Hajj visas after inserting pilgrims’ data in the electronic tracking of Hajj visas.
Nearly 37,000 Hajj pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia via Makkah Route initiative
Nearly 37,000 Hajj pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia via Makkah Route initiative
- The Makkah Route initiative is expected to serve more than 225,000 pilgrims coming from airports in Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Tunisia
- The service includes issuing visas, ensuring compliance with health requirements and codifying and sorting luggage at airports in the pilgrims’ own countries
Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 offers inspiration, innovation
- Sports, fitness, wellness in spotlight at Jeddah Superdome
- Gyms and fitness brands offer visitors a wide range of interactive experiences
JEDDAH: Jeddah Superdome welcomed more than 1,000 athletes of all ages on Wednesday for a heart-pounding session which placed sports, fitness and wellness in the spotlight.
The Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 is taking place until Jan. 31 and visitors on the first day were treated to a heady environment filled with high-intensity energy and in which cutting-edge fitness trends met the inspirational spirit of sportsmanship.
More than 300 brands and over 200 exhibitors engaged in in-depth exchanges and interactions according to organizers, while jointly forging an event for the global sports and fitness industry.
Mohammed Al-Aidarous, from the event’s organizing committee, told Arab News the expo aimed to spread the culture of fitness as a daily lifestyle and sought to encourage best international expertise and practices, while empowering and developing local sports talents.
He said: “The sports and fitness industry is a rapidly growing sector globally. Especially in Saudi Arabia, there is an increasing focus on health and fitness among the general public. Consequently there is a growing demand for fitness-related products and services.”
The exhibition, which is in its fourth edition, has brought together suppliers of fitness equipment and sports and leisure products, along with representatives from nutrition and health sectors, wellness clinics, youth sports education, and artificial intelligence solution providers.
Many of the participants are introducing new products to meet changing market trends, leveraging the national fitness policies, deeply exploring market demand, and expanding their presence in the sports industry market, thereby providing users with more professional services.
Gyms and fitness brands at the event are offering visitors a wide range of interactive, educational and commercial opportunities designed to promote healthy lifestyles while showcasing the latest industry innovations.
Danya Aljamal, an event coordinator at GymNation, said: “We are here to show sports enthusiasts who we are and what we can do to make them change their lifestyle with sports. GymNation is about enjoying your time, having fun, challenging yourself and making the best form of your body.”
She added: “We will be offering visitors our famous Hyrox class. It is designed to help enhance your strength and explosive power through a combination of targeted, high-intensity exercises and I hope people enjoy it.”
AI is rapidly reshaping athletic training environments. The exhibition features platforms that analyze an athlete’s movement, track progress, and offer automated corrections.
Saudi entrepreneur Mohammed Kaki, founder and CEO of FitLife, an Al-powered health-tech startup delivering B2B personalized nutrition and wellness plans, said: “We are proud to share the FitLife platform and feel excited to take these insights and relationships to the next level during this three-day event.
“FitLife is an app developed to make people’s fitness journey much easier and more convenient. Our algorithms were developed to produce accurate programs with a full range of workouts and recipes designed to fit people’s daily schedule and preferences.
“Our objective at FitLife is to foster growth and revolutionize the way people perceive health and fitness.”
Kaki indicated that the startup was also aiming to support coaches and specialists in sports and health organizations through AI solutions.
Beyond the exhibition stands and workshops, bodybuilding, calisthenics, taekwondo and volleyball are among the activities taking place at Jeddah Superdome.
