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KUALA LUMPUR: As Malaysian pilgrims arrive at Kuala Lumpur Worldwide Airport for the flight to Saudi Arabia, they’re welcomed by Saudi officers who’re serving to tens of hundreds of individuals depart for Hajj.
The welcome is a pre-departure glimpse into Saudi hospitality.
Malaysia is amongst 5 Muslim majority nations — together with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Morocco — the place Saudi Arabia opened its Makkah Route initiative.
This system, launched in 2019, is devoted to Hajj pilgrims, permitting them to satisfy all visa, customs and well being necessities on the airport of origin, saving lengthy hours of ready. Upon arrival, pilgrims can enter the Kingdom with out ready, having already gone by visa and customs processes again dwelling.
These departing from Kuala Lumpur airport are taken care of by dozens of Saudi immigration officers working around the clock to facilitate their journey.
“We aren’t even in Saudi but, however I can already really feel the heat. That is very welcoming,” Ariff Abdullah, who departed on one of many final Hajj flights this week, advised Arab Information, as he and his spouse have been on the brink of board their Jeddah-bound flight.
“At the moment I used to be joking with the chap on the immigration counter,” Abdullah stated. “He even knew a few Malay phrases!”
This 12 months, 14,306 Malaysian pilgrims will participate in Hajj. The quantity is half the quota Malaysia acquired in 2019, the final Hajj season earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic. However the complete variety of pilgrims who will arrive within the Kingdom this 12 months has additionally been halved.
Hajj was restricted to only 1,000 folks residing within the Kingdom in 2020, and restricted to solely 60,000 home individuals in 2021.
As COVID-19 curbs have been lifted this 12 months, Saudi Arabia will welcome 1 million overseas and home pilgrims, in contrast with the pre-pandemic 2.5 million.
Makkah Route officers are serving to to streamline their arrival.

“The initiative goals to facilitate the pilgrims’ immigration course of at their nation of origin, together with fingerprinting and finalizing the entry (to Saudi Arabia), and supply of bags to their chosen lodging in a really quick time,” Sgt. Maj. Anas Muhammad, who arrived from Jeddah to help Malaysian pilgrims, advised Arab Information.
His colleague, Sgt. Kholoud Al-Ahmadi, is “honored to be a part of the Makkah Route initiative in Malaysia.”
She stated: “I’m very glad to be a part of this initiative, particularly because it’s my first time in Malaysia.”
Mixed with different procedures underneath the Makkah Route, the immigration course of from each the Malaysian and Saudi sides takes a median of 10 minutes per pilgrim.
To those that require extra help, together with folks with disabilities, the scheme is a welcome aid.
“Once we attain Jeddah, we’re all cleared and there’s no want to attend and queue for immigration there,” stated Zainab Binti Awang, a wheelchair person accompanied by her sister.
Once they attain the Kingdom, pilgrims are acquired on the airport and brought to their lodges in Makkah and Madinah. They will deal with their non secular journeys, as all sensible points of the pilgrimage are taken care of.
“The Makkah Route may be very handy,” stated Johar Yusof, one other pilgrim departing from Kuala Lumpur. “There’s no must undergo trouble — I adore it.”