BRUNEI: Saudi Arabia has launched the Makkah Route Initiative in Brunei Darussalam, enhancing travel facilitation for pilgrims and streamlining pre-departure procedures to ensure a smoother and more efficient Hajj journey.
The initiative was launched at Brunei International Airport in the presence of Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Badaruddin bin Haji Othman, Advisor to the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the Makkah Route Initiative Lieutenant General Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, and Saudi Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Saleh bin Abdulkarim Al-Shiha, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Monday.
The programme is designed to deliver a seamless and high-quality Hajj experience by completing all entry procedures in pilgrims’ home countries before departure.
This includes the electronic issuance of Hajj visas, passport processing, and verification of health requirements at designated airports.
Luggage is also coded and organised according to pilgrims’ accommodation in Saudi Arabia, enabling them to proceed directly to dedicated transport upon arrival in Makkah and Madinah without waiting for baggage collection.
Since its launch in 2017, the Makkah Route Initiative has facilitated the journeys of over 1.25 million pilgrims.
The programme reflects strong inter-agency collaboration, involving the ministries of foreign affairs, health, Hajj and Umrah, and media, along with key entities such as the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, the General Authority for Awqaf, the Pilgrim Experience Programme, and the General Directorate of Passports. It is further supported by stc Group as the primary digital enabler.
