Saudi Arabia launches Makkah Route Initiative in Maldives
Saudi Arabia expands streamlined Hajj travel services to Maldives, enabling pilgrims to complete visa, health, and immigration procedures before departing for Makkah.
MALE, Maldives (MNTV) — Saudi Arabia has officially launched its Makkah Route Initiative in the Maldives, marking the eighth country to benefit from the Kingdom’s streamlined Hajj travel service.
The initiative was inaugurated at Velana International Airport in Male on Monday by Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, alongside Chairman of the Makkah Route Supervisory Committee Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Al-Yahya and Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed.
The Maldives joins Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkiye, Morocco, and the Ivory Coast as beneficiaries of the program, which is designed to simplify and accelerate the pilgrimage process for Hajj travelers at their point of origin.
The first batch of 234 Maldivian pilgrims departed for Saudi Arabia from Male as part of the new system.
“This is a historic page in our efforts to ease and enhance the Hajj journey for our citizens,” said Islamic Affairs Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, who described the event as a moment of national pride.
He credited President Muizzu’s leadership for recent reforms in Hajj services, noting that they were now being realized through the Makkah Route Initiative.
He also extended appreciation to Saudi Arabia and King Salman for granting special exemptions that enabled the Maldives to participate in the program.
“This is a tremendous honor for the Maldivian people,” Ali Saeed added, underscoring the deepening relationship between Riyadh and Male.
The Makkah Route Initiative offers pilgrims several key benefits, including biometric enrollment, electronic visa issuance, pre-departure passport processing, health screenings, and organized luggage handling at their home airports.
Upon arrival in the Kingdom, pilgrims are transferred directly to their accommodations in Makkah and Madinah, with partner agencies delivering their luggage.
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