Makkah Route Initiative team visits Maldives

A team from Makkah Route, an initiative newly being introduced for Hajj pilgrims to make their journey easier, has visited Maldives.

The Islamic Ministry of Maldives said the team is Makkah Route Initiative's advance team for providing the services in Maldives.

The were welcomed at Velana International Airport by Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed and other officials of the ministry.

According to the ministry, the advance team would carry out the necessary work to implement the Makkah Route Initiative in Maldives.

The Makkah Route Initiative is scheduled to start on May 26, when the first flight of pilgrims depart from Maldives this year. The day would be marked with a special ceremony at Velana International Airport. A delegation of 26 Saudi officials is also scheduled to attend the ceremony, the ministry said.

The Saudi government decided to include Maldives in the Makkah Route Initiative, which would provide many a significant relief for pilgrims in completing various airport and immigration requirements.

The Makkah Route allows pilgrims to complete their immigration procedures of both countries at their respective airports before leaving their home countries. This eliminates waiting time at Jeddah airport and allows pilgrims to directly go to their hotels with their luggage.

The initiative was so far granted to countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan which have a large number of pilgrims visiting Makkah every year, making Maldives the eight country.

The Makkah Route Initiative is part of Saudi Vision 2030, which the Saudi government has been implementing since 2018 under the Ministry of Hajj and the Ministry of Interior.