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Join on Telegram Rabat – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has launched the “Makkah Route” initiative to assist Moroccan pilgrims in completing their Hajj procedures for this season.
Quoting the Saudi ministry, the Saudi Gazette said on June 4 that the Hajj initiative was launched in 2019 to assist pilgrims in Morocco, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.
“Makkah Route” issues visas for pilgrims electronically by collecting their biometric details. It also helps pilgrims complete their travel procedures at the airport of the country of departure with respect to health requirements.
The assistance extends to transporting the pilgrims from the airport to their places of residency in Makkah and Madinah, as well as coding and sorting their luggage in the home country and delivering them to the pilgrims’ places of residency in Saudi Arabia upon their arrival.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior supervises the implementation of the “Makkah Route” in collaboration with the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Hajj and Umrah, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), the “Doyof (Guests) Al Rahman Program,” the General Directorate of Passports, and Elm Company.
In April, Saudi Arabia announced its plans to welcome one million pilgrims for Hajj 2022.
Read Also: Hajj 2022: Morocco Announces Opening of Fee Payment Process for Eligible Pilgrims
A few days later, Morocco’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs reported that 15,392 Moroccan pilgrims will be part of this year’s ceremony with tourist travel agencies assisting only 5,206 pilgrims.
Faced with the fear of spreading the COVID-19 virus, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah set special selection criteria for this Hajj season that limit the pilgrim quota for Morocco by 45%.
It further limited the pool of eligible pilgrims to fully vaccinated (three doses) individuals aged under 65. The selected pilgrims also have to present a negative PCR test issued less than 72 hours before departure.
While required to meet additional criteria this year, the Moroccan pilgrims for 2022 have also to pay more money this season compared to 2019. Excluding personal expenses, this year’s Hajj costs are set to reach MAD 63,000 ($6,396) up from MAD 49,906 ($5,066).
Moroccans selected for the 2022 Hajj can now pay the fees via Al-Barid Bank agencies until June 8.
