Kuala lumpur: Malaysia has expressed its appreciation and gratitude to the Saudi government for the Makkah Route initiative, now in its eighth year, which continues to benefit Malaysian haj pilgrims. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Dr Zulkifli Hasan, said the Saudi Arabian government has introduced various initiatives and programmes, including the Nusuk card and the Makkah Route.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Zulkifli Hasan expressed his appreciation, stating, "Alhamdulillah, I would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to the government of Saudi Arabia for these amazing initiatives and programmes." He emphasized the continuous improvement and positive impact of these initiatives on Malaysian pilgrims during his address at the send-off of the first group of 284 Malaysian Haj Pilgrims for the 1447H/2026M haj season at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1.

Also present at the event were Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Marhamah Rosli, Tabung Haji (TH) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain, TH chief executive officer Mustakim Mohamad, and Saudi Ambassador to Malaysia Osamah Dakhel R Al-Ahmadi. Zulkifli highlighted the positive response from Malaysian pilgrims, noting that the programme has helped speed up procedures and reduce difficulties at Saudi Arabia's entry points.

Osamah Dakhel, the Saudi Ambassador, shared that the cooperation between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia in implementing the Makkah Route initiative demonstrates the strong bilateral ties between the two countries. He stated, "This is the eighth year of the Makkah Route. It provides convenience for Malaysian haj pilgrims and, insya-Allah, offers many benefits," with Dr Zulkifli translating his speech into Bahasa Malaysia.

The Makkah Route initiative was first piloted in Malaysia in 2017, and Saudi immigration officers are stationed at KLIA Terminal 1 to process pilgrims' passports. As a result, when Malaysian pilgrims arrive at the airports in Medina or Jeddah, they no longer need to wait for immigration and customs clearance. The initiative also includes direct baggage transfer to their accommodation in Makkah and Medina, with the baggage tagging process supervised by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah, beginning at KLIA.