Saudi Arabia has officially launched the Makkah Route Initiative terminal at Brunei International Airport in Brunei Darussalam. The inauguration was attended by Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Badaruddin bin Haji Othman, Chairman of the initiative’s Supervisory Committee Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, and Saudi Ambassador Saleh bin Abdulkarim Al-Shiha.
The Makkah Route Initiative aims to streamline the Hajj journey by handling all entry procedures before pilgrims depart their home countries. Services include electronic visa issuance, passport processing, and health checks at departure airports. Luggage is also pre-sorted based on pilgrims’ accommodation in Saudi Arabia, enabling them to travel directly to buses upon arrival in Makkah and Madinah without waiting for baggage.
Since its introduction in 2017, the initiative has assisted over 1.25 million pilgrims. It is a joint effort involving multiple Saudi entities, including the ministries of foreign affairs, health, Hajj and Umrah, and media, as well as the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, General Authority for Awqaf, Pilgrim Experience Program, and the General Directorate of Passports. stc Group serves as the primary digital partner supporting the initiative.
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