RIYADH: Saudi Arabia launched the Makkah Route initiative in Cote d’Ivoire at Abidjan International Airport on Saturday.
The event was attended by the chairman of the supervisory committee of the initiative and director general of the General Directorate of Passports, Lt. Gen. Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, Saudi Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire Saad bin Bakheat Al-Qathami, and several other key officials.
The Makkah Route initiative aims to receive pilgrims and help them complete their procedures from their countries with ease. The process begins with the issuance of electronic visas and collection of vital information, followed by streamlined passport procedures in before departure for the Kingdom.
These steps are fulfilled after verifying health requirements, in addition to coding and sorting luggage according to transportation and accomodation arrangements in Saudi Arabia.
Upon their arrival, they go directly to buses to take them to their places of residence in Makkah and Madinah, while service agencies deliver their luggage.
The Ministry of the Interior has implemented the initiative in seven countries this year, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Turkiye, and Cote d’Ivoire, with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, Pilgrim Experience Program and the General Directorate of Passports.
