RIYADH: Growing numbers of Hajj pilgrims are benefiting from Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Route initiative, which streamlines travel and entry processes for visitors from partner countries.

A total of 617,756 Hajj pilgrims from Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkiye, and the Ivory Coast have so far benefited from the initiative, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Launched in 2019 in Muslim-majority countries, the scheme allows pilgrims to fulfill all visa, customs and health requirements at their airport of origin, saving hours of waiting before and on arrival in the Kingdom.

The process begins with the issue of electronic visas and individual information collection, followed by streamlined passport procedures before departure.

Stickers are placed on luggage and passports containing information on the flight data and place of residence of each pilgrim. The tagging service is carried out by a specialized team working under the supervision of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Teams at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah receive the luggage, which is then delivered to pilgrim accommodation.

The Ministry of Interior implements the Makkah Route initiative in cooperation with several agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Data and AI Authority, the Pilgrim Experience Program and the General Directorate of Passports.