Members of a Saudi Arabian delegation have begun arriving in the Maldives to finalise arrangements for the implementation of the Makkah Route Initiative for Maldivian Hajj pilgrims for the 1447 AH season, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs has announced.
Omar Abdul Majeed, Operations Director of the Makkah Route Initiative delegation, arrived in Malé on Saturday evening. The remaining 18 members of the Saudi delegation are scheduled to arrive on 11 May 2026.
بدأ وصول أعضاء وفد المملكة العربية السعودية إلى المالديف لاستكمال الترتيبات الخاصة بتنفيذ مبادرة طريق مكة لحجاج المالديف لعام ١٤٤٧
وفي هذا السياق، وصل مساء أمس مدير العمليات في وفد مبادرة طريق مكة السيد عمر عبدالمجيد، فيما من المقرر أن يصل بقية أعضاء الوفد، وعددهم 18 مسؤولًا، يوم… pic.twitter.com/4Pu167IWgy— Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed (@Mohamedshaheem1) May 10, 2026
A second year under the initiative
The Maldives was first included in the Makkah Route Initiative for the 1446 AH Hajj season in 2025, becoming the eighth country to benefit from the Saudi-led programme. The service was inaugurated locally by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu at Velana International Airport, with Major General Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, Chairman of the Makkah Route Initiative and Advisor to the Saudi Minister of Interior, attending alongside a high-level Saudi delegation.
For the 2026 season, the initiative has expanded to 17 entry points across 10 countries, with Senegal and Brunei Darussalam joining as new participants. Other beneficiary countries include Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Türkiye, and Côte d’Ivoire.
How the initiative works
The Makkah Route Initiative is one of the flagship projects under the Pilgrim Experience Programme, part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. It is designed to ease the journey for Hajj pilgrims by completing key entry procedures in their home countries before departure.
Under the system, passport control, the electronic issuance of Hajj visas, biometric data collection, and health verification are all carried out at the point of departure. Pilgrims’ luggage is coded, sorted according to their accommodation arrangements in Saudi Arabia, and transported directly to their lodgings in Makkah and Madinah. On arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, pilgrims board dedicated buses without the need to wait at baggage claim, significantly reducing processing time and easing the burden of travel.
Around 1,000 Maldivian pilgrims travel for Hajj each year, and the inclusion of the Maldives in the initiative was secured through consultations between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments and Saudi authorities.
Bilateral cooperation
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs described the provision of the service as a reflection of the close fraternal ties between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Government of the Maldives extended its appreciation to the Saudi leadership and government for the continued support and facilitation provided to Maldivian pilgrims. The ministry also thanked the Saudi Ambassador to the Maldives, Yahya bin Hassan Al-Qahtani, and the staff of the Saudi Embassy in Malé for their cooperation in matters relating to Maldivian Hajj pilgrims.
Hajj 2026 is expected to take place from 24 to 29 May.
