Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — The first Hajj flights from Malaysia and Bangladesh arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday within the Makkah Route initiative.

The Malaysian Hajj pilgrims arrived on Sunday morning at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah coming from the Makkah Route initiative's hall at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The pilgrims were welcomed by the Director of Passports in Madinah region Maj. Gen. Talal Al-Dabbasi, and Mohammed Al-Bejawi, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Visit Affairs in Madinah.

The first Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims arrived on Sunday at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, coming through the initiative's hall at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka.

The Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims were welcomed with roses by a group of security and government leaders.

There were more than 27 government agencies that participated within the Makkah Road initiative in receiving the Bangladeshi pilgrims.

It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Interior expanded the Makkah Route initiative to Turkey and Ivory Coast for this year.

The initiative will now serve in seven countries including Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and Bangladesh since launching the initiative for the first time in 2019.

The Makkah Route is one of the Interior Ministry's initiatives within the Guests of God Service Program, one of the programs of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, that aims to complete the pilgrims' procedures from their countries.

The procedures that the Makkah Route conducts to the pilgrims starts with issuing the electronic visa, then taking the pilgrims vital characteristics, and also completing the passport procedures at the airport of the country of departure after verifying the availability of health requirements.

Additionally, among the initiative's contributions, it is also coding and sorting luggage according to transportation and housing arrangements in Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrims are transported directly upon their arrival on buses to take them to their residence in Makkah and Madinah with designated lanes, while the service agencies deliver their luggage to their area of residence.