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- Makkah Route Initiative continues providing services to pilgrims from Morocco and Pakistan
This initiative aims to provide services to pilgrims by assisting with their entry procedures into the Kingdom from the airports of their respective countries. (SPA)
Updated 15 sec ago
ARAB NEWS
June 01, 2024
RIYADH: The Makkah Route initiative operating at airports in Morocco and Pakistan benefited many pilgrims preparing for Hajj this year, reported Saudi State News Agency SPA.
The stations are located in Casablanca Mohammed V International in Morocco and Jinnah International Airport in Karachi Pakistan.
This initiative aims to provide services to pilgrims by assisting with their entry procedures into the Kingdom from the airports of their respective countries.
Saudi Arabia in 2019 launched the Makkah Route Initiative to help Hajj pilgrims from seven countries — Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkiye and Ivory Coast — with their visa, customs and passport requirements.
The government program issues visas electronically and collects biometric data, carrying out all travel procedures at the airports of the countries of departure, including ensuring that pilgrims have a clean bill of health. Baggage is coded and sorted to meet the transport and accommodation arrangements while pilgrims are in the Kingdom.
source https://www.arabnews.com/node/2521156/saudi-arabia
Categories: Arab World, Hajj, Saudi Arabia
Sounds good. And very different from ‘my time’ as Hajji. When I reached Jedda with my family in 1975 on immigration they took away my passport and said I could collect it further on at ‘your country’s desk’. Of course Switzerland did not have a desk, but I was pushed on anyway. I went to a desk called ‘Europe’ and was told to wait. When mentioning to a fellow Hajji that I am waiting already a couple of hours he replied ‘I am waiting for 12 hours already’. Luckily one fellow passenger from the same plane came to me and said ‘I saw your red Swiss passport, come!’ (He was searching for his). And then when I went to that desk and pointed out my passport things went smoothly… Alhamdolillah. Anyway, seems improved now.
Good to know.