Riyadh: In a concerted effort to provide high-quality services to Hajj pilgrims in their home countries and enrich their religious experience, Saudi Arabia is leveraging its resources in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, through the Makkah Route Initiative. Passport authorities are working to ensure a smooth and seamless arrival of Bangladeshi pilgrims benefiting from the initiative at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the Makkah Route Initiative is one of the Ministry of Interior's programs under Saudi Vision 2030's Pilgrim Experience Program. The executive supervisor of the Makkah Route Initiative in Bangladesh, Lieutenant Colonel Sami Al-Suhaimi, stated that the initiative significantly reduces travel burdens, reflecting the Kingdom's advancements in streamlining procedures through technology, all under the supervision of dedicated Saudi personnel.
This year marks the fifth annual Makkah Route initiative in Bangladesh, Al-Suhaimi said. The program provides high-quality services to pilgrims at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka, completing their procedures with ease and convenience before their departure to Saudi Arabia.
A pilgrim's journey in the initiative's hall at HSIA begins with biometric data collection and the electronic issuance of Hajj visas, Al-Suhaimi said. Passport procedures are then finalized at the airport after verifying health requirements, alongside the tagging and sorting of luggage according to transportation and accommodation arrangements in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims directly head to buses that take them to their residences in Makkah and Madinah via dedicated routes. Partner agencies then take over the delivery of the pilgrims' luggage to their accommodations.
The Makkah Route Initiative is being implemented for the seventh year in cooperation with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Hajj and Umrah, and Media, as well as the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), the General Authority of Awqaf (GAA), the Pilgrim Experience Program, the General Directorate of Passports, and the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA).