Hajj 2025: ‘Mecca Route’ gives extra care to elderly pilgrims

Cairo: A Saudi scheme, offering Hajj-related facilities to pilgrims coming from specific countries, is giving special attention to the elderly faithful.

Under the “Mecca Route” Initiative, designated tracks, expedited procedures, transportation to the waiting lounges before boarding Saudi Arabia-bound flights are provided for the elderly and infirm pilgrims at the departure airports in their home countries.

Staff are regularly on hand to receive the elderly pilgrims and complete the necessary travel procedures for them.

Now in its seventh year, the scheme secures fast-track services to pilgrims from seven countries, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Turkey and Cote d’Ivoire at 11 airports in the beneficiary countries.

The initiative aims to provide high-quality services to the pilgrims from these countries by finalising their procedures in the homeland, starting with taking their biometrics and issuing Hajj visas electronically through completing passport measures after verifying all health requirements.

Other facilities include tagging and sorting out luggage at the departure airports.

On arrival in Saudi Arabia, those pilgrims head directly to their residences in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina aboard buses moving on designated routes while their luggage are delivered right to their residences.

Several Saudi government agencies join hands in implementing the scheme. They include the ministries of interior, health, Hajj, and information, as well as the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, and the General Directorate of Passports.