Karachi: The first flights of the Makkah Route Initiative departed from Pakistan, carrying pilgrims from Jinnah International Airport in Karachi to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, marking the start of the initiative’s operations in Pakistan for the Haj season.
Now in its eighth year, the Interior Ministry initiative streamlines the Haj journey by completing all entry procedures in the pilgrims' home country. Services include electronic Haj visa issuance, biometric data collection, and passport control at the departure airport. Pilgrims also benefit from a specialised luggage service where bags are tagged and transported directly to their accommodations in Makkah and Madinah, allowing travellers to bypass airport procedures upon arrival and board dedicated buses immediately.
Since its launch in 2017, the Makkah Route Initiative has served 1,254,994 pilgrims. The project is a collaborative effort involving the ministries of foreign affairs, health, haj and umrah, and media, alongside 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 Program, and the General Directorate of Passports, in partnership with the stc group as the digital enabler.
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