Last of ‘Makkah Route’ pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia for Hajj

1 / 2
The last group of pilgrims using the initiative arrived in Makkah Wednesday morning from Tunisia. (SPA)
2 / 2
The last group of pilgrims using the initiative arrived in Makkah Wednesday morning from Tunisia. (SPA)
Updated 07 August 2019
Follow

Last of ‘Makkah Route’ pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia for Hajj

  • The program established last year allows pilgrims to complete their entry paperwork in the airports they are departing from
  • More than 171,000 pilgrims from Tunisia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh have arrived this year

JEDDAH: The last pilgrims traveling under Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Route Initiative arrived in the Kingdom Wednesday ahead of Hajj.

The program established last year allows pilgrims to complete their entry paperwork in the airports they are departing from rather than once they arrive in Saudi Arabia.

More than 171,000 pilgrims from Tunisia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh have arrived in the Kingdom this year using the initiative 

The last group arrived in Makkah Wednesday morning from Tunisia.

Pilgrims traveling under the initiative have lauded the program for making their journey as smooth as possible and enabling them to perform their pilgrimage with ease and comfort.

The initiative enables them to bypass the procedures upon arrival in the Kingdom, and head directly to buses waiting to transport them to accommodation in Makkah and Madinah.

The service includes issuing visas, ensuring they comply with health requirements and sorting luggage.

The Makkah Route Initiative is part of the National Transformation Program 2020 to improve services for pilgrims. 

The Kingdom plans to increase the number of countries in the future. 


Qiddiya ‘shaping the future,’ says executive ahead of Six Flags opening

Minister of Media, Salman Al Dosari Speaks at Six Flags Press Conference. (AN Photo Basmah Albasrawi)
Updated 6 sec ago
Follow

Qiddiya ‘shaping the future,’ says executive ahead of Six Flags opening

  • Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari underscored the Kingdom’s recent monumental achievements in alignment with Six Flags Qiddiya City’s symbolic upcoming opening, stating: “We, in Saudi Arabia do not start where others end, we start where others dream”

RIYADH: Qiddiya is “shaping the future of entire sectors,” the entertainment megaproject’s managing director said at a press conference on Monday ahead of the official opening of Six Flags on Dec. 31.

Abdullah Al-Dawood took to the podium to share his pride in Qiddiya City’s speedy progress.

“Today, Six Flags Qiddiya City is complete, and Aquaarabia is over 95 percent complete,” he said.

With doors set to open in nine days, Al-Dawood made sure to remind the audience that this milestone is only the beginning of a grander vision for Qiddiya City and the Kingdom as a whole.

“What we are doing today goes beyond simply developing a project, it is about building a city and shaping the future of entire sectors. God willing, the Kingdom will be among the leading countries in the fields of entertainment, sports, culture and tourism” he said.

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari underscored the Kingdom’s recent monumental achievements in alignment with Six Flags Qiddiya City’s symbolic upcoming opening, stating: “We, in Saudi Arabia do not start where others end, we start where others dream.”

En route to the park, Qiddiya executives welcomed members of the press to their grand project as mountains made way to rollercoaster views.

Qiddiya’s progress in becoming a hub for entertainment and sports is visible in the daylight as cranes and construction crew gathered to finalize building some of the most anticipated projects such as Aquaarabia, a waterpark, and golf courses in the heart of the desert.

The park is the first Six Flags outside of North America and forms part of Qiddiya Investment Co.’s flagship development.