JEDDAH: The government of Saudi Arabia is ready to consider expanding the implementation of the Mecca Route initiative to other countries interested in providing comfort to pilgrims performing the haj pilgrimage.
According to Saudi Arabia's director-general of Passports, Lt General Sulaiman al Yahya, his side has also started studying requests from other countries, applying for the implementation of the initiative for their haj pilgrims.
"If there is a request from any country, we will consider the matter.
"We are also ready to implement this initiative in any suitable place,” he told reporters, when welcoming the arrival of haj pilgrims, through the Mecca Route initiative, at Jeddah's King Abdul Aziz Airport.
He said through the Mecca Route initiative, pilgrims do not have to wait long to go through the procedures set at the airport, because all the procedures have been completed in the pilgrim's country of origin before departing for Saudi Arabia.
"Hence, when the pilgrims depart for Makkah al Mukarramah or Madinah al Munawwarah, it is as if they boarded a domestic flight in their own country. Pilgrims also do not have to worry about losing their belongings,” he said.
He added that the initiative is a gift from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to the guests of Allah.
The Mecca Route initiative was first launched in Saudi Arabia in 2018, and was officially implemented in 2019.
The implementation of the Mecca Route allows pilgrims from selected countries, including Malaysia, to use the initiative, without having to go through time-consuming procedures upon arrival at the airports in Saudi Arabia. - Bernama
