Around 1.3 million Muslims from different countries have come to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, an important religious event. The Saudi passport authorities shared this information, stating that these pilgrims have entered the country through airports, land ports, and sea ports. Out of the total, 1.2 million arrived by air, 57,463 arrived by land, and 4,648 arrived by sea.
This year, Saudi Arabia is expecting over 2 million pilgrims from more than 160 countries for the Hajj. Unlike the previous years when there were restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi authorities have now lifted the limits on the number of pilgrims coming from all around the world.
Saudi Arabia, which is home to Islam’s two holiest sites, is taking extra measures to ensure the comfort of the large number of pilgrims who are arriving for the Hajj. They have implemented a program called the “Mecca Route,” which allows pilgrims from certain countries to complete their Hajj-related procedures in their home countries. This initiative started on a trial basis in 2017 and is currently being offered to pilgrims from seven countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Cote d’Ivoire.
Under this program, pilgrims receive electronic visas in their home countries and go through passport procedures, luggage tagging, and sorting at their departure airports. When they arrive in Saudi Arabia, they go directly to their accommodations in Mecca and Medina, and their luggage is delivered to their residences as well.
