Saudi Arabia Launches Makkah Route Initiative in Turkiye

Istanbul, May 30, 2023, SPA -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia officially launched the Makkah Route initiative in the Republic of Turkiye at the initiative lounge in Istanbul International Airport. The event was attended by the Turkish Chairman of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, Prof. Ali Erbas, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the initiative and Director General of Passports, Lieutenant General Suleiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, committee members, Chargé d'Affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Ankara, Mohammed Alharbi, Consul General Abdul Majeed bin Hamad Al-Dosari, and several officials from both countries.
The Makkah Route initiative aims to facilitate the arrival and completion of procedures for pilgrims from their respective countries conveniently and efficiently. The process begins with the issuance of electronic visas and collection of vital information, followed by streamlined passport procedures at the Initiative lounge in the departure country's airport. These steps are fulfilled after verifying the availability of health requirements, in addition to coding and sorting luggage according to transportation and housing arrangements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Upon their arrival, they go directly to buses to take them to their residences in Makkah and Madinah, with designated tracks, while service agencies deliver their luggage to their homes.
--SPA