Over 820,000 pilgrims from abroad arrive in Saudi Arabia for Hajj

Cairo: More than 820,000 pilgrims from abroad have arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform next month’s annual Hajj pilgrimage, according to official figures.

The Saudi Directorate of Passports reported a total of 820,685 arrivals as of the end of Thursday.

Of these, 782,358 pilgrims arrived by air, 35,478 via land border crossings, and 2,822 by sea.

Last year, around 1.8 million Muslims from both inside and outside the kingdom performed Hajj, an obligatory Islamic duty.

Saudi authorities are implementing a program to fast-track departure and arrival procedures for pilgrims from specific countries.

Officially called the "Mecca Route" initiative, the scheme was fully launched in 2018 after a trial phase in 2017.

This initiative helps facilitate the hosting of pilgrims and provides high-quality services through qualified personnel at 11 airports across seven countries.

Currently, the "Mecca Route" applies to pilgrims from Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Côte d’Ivoire.

The scheme streamlines services by completing pilgrims’ procedures in their home countries — including biometric data collection, electronic issuance of Hajj visas, passport processing, and verification of health requirements. Additional services include luggage tagging and sorting at departure airports.

Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, pilgrims are transported directly to their residences in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina via buses on designated routes, while their luggage is delivered straight to their accommodations.

This approach aims to save time and effort and enhance the overall quality of services provided to pilgrims.