Jeddah, 7 May 2026

HE Dr. Hisham bin Saad Al Jadhey, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, today visited the lounge dedicated to the "Makkah Route" initiative at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, to review the procedures and services provided to the Guests of God arriving to perform the Hajj rituals.

The visit covered the operational and organizational efforts to ease the pilgrims' journey and speed up their procedures, ensuring a smooth and safe experience from the moment they arrive in the Kingdom.

Integrated Services to Ease the Journey of the Guests of God

During the visit Al Jadhey reviewed the operating system inside the lounge, which aims to complete pilgrims' procedures in record time and enable them to perform their rituals with ease.

The initiative receives pilgrims and completes their procedures in their home countries, from capturing biometric data and issuing the Hajj visa electronically, through completing passport procedures at the departure airport and verifying health requirements, to coding and sorting luggage according to transport and housing arrangements in the Kingdom.

Direct Transfers and Advanced Technology

The initiative also lets pilgrims move directly along dedicated routes to the buses that carry them to their accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, while partner bodies deliver their luggage to their housing.

The initiative relies on advanced technical and organizational solutions that raise the efficiency of procedures and improve the experience of the Guests of God.

An Integrated Partnership to Serve Pilgrims

The Ministry of Interior is implementing the initiative in its eighth year in cooperation with a number of government bodies, including the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Hajj and Umrah, and Media, along with the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Data and AI Authority, the General Directorate of Passports and the Pilgrim Experience Program, in integration with technology partner stc.

More Than 1.2 Million Pilgrims Since the Initiative Began

Since the Makkah Route initiative was launched in 1438 AH (2017), more than 1,254,994 pilgrims have benefited from it, as part of continued efforts to develop the Hajj services system and raise the quality of services for the Guests of God.

At a Glance

  • Location: King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah
  • Date: 7 May 2026
  • Occasion: visit to the Makkah Route initiative lounge
  • Visitor: CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority
  • Beneficiaries: more than 1.25 million pilgrims since 2017