The hajj, expected to draw more than two million pilgrims to Mecca this year, represents a key rite of passage for Muslims JEDDAH: The director of the Passports Department in Madinah, Dr. Khaled Al-Huaish, revealed that 43,063 pilgrims have been received and a total of 100,000 Indonesian pilgrims are expected on the “Makkah Road,” a fast-track initiative for Malaysian and Indonesian pilgrims to enter Saudi Arabia without the long wait. The initiative began with processing the entry visas for Saudi Arabia from a pilgrim’s own country, at the airport where the first flight takes off, in collaboration with various related Saudi government agencies to facilitate pilgrimage arrangements and requirements. The pilgrims who arrive under the Makkah Road initiative have their fingerprints taken and passports stamped at their country of departure and their entry into Saudi Arabia will be facilitated like a domestic flight while their baggage will be sent to their places of residence through the Ministry of Hajj.