MAKKAH: A total of 242,272 Hajj pilgrims have benefited from Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Route initiative, which streamlines the travel and entry process for visitors from Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkiye and, for the first time, Ivory Coast. The pilgrims arrived on 667 flights into King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah. Launched in 2019, the scheme allows Hajj pilgrims to fulfill all their visa, customs and health requirements at their departure airport, saving them hours of time waiting both before and upon arrival in the Kingdom. The process begins with the issue of electronic visas and individual information collection, followed by streamlined passport procedures before departure. Stickers are placed on luggage and passports containing information on the flight data and place of residence of each pilgrim. The tagging service is carried out by a specialized team working under the supervision of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The Ministry of Interior implements the Makkah Route initiative in cooperation with several agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Data and AI Authority, the Pilgrim Experience Program and the General Directorate of Passports.