JEDDAH — Lt. Gen. Suleiman Al-Yahya, director general of Passports (Jawazat), said that study is under way with relevant authorities with regard to permitting Hajj pilgrims entry to Saudi Arabia through all land ports. Attending the "Expo Hajj 2023" conference and exhibition in Jeddah on Tuesday, he revealed Saudi Arabia's readiness to receive any number of Hajj pilgrims during the current year. "The General Directorate of Passports is constantly striving to develop the mechanisms of arrival, as well as to facilitate electronic services and register biometric characteristics that facilitate knowing the identity of those arriving and speeding up of their entry," he said. The Jawazat chief explained this while addressing a dialogue session titled "Quality of services for the arrival and reception of the Guests of the Most Merciful" in which Deputy Minister of Hajj Dr. Abdelfattah Mashat was the host. "Saudi Arabia is ready to receive any number of pilgrims, thanks to the strong digital infrastructure," he said while explaining that the Kingdom is constantly striving to develop the mechanisms of pilgrims' arrival. Lt. Gen. Al-Yahya said that the "Makkah Route" initiative was launched by the Ministry of Interior in the year 1438, in coordination with eight government agencies, with the aim of completing the travel procedures of pilgrims well before their arrival in the Kingdom from their respective countries. The Jawazat chief noted that the directorate values highly the accomplishment of the mission in serving the Hajj pilgrims and it has assigned employees who speak 14 languages to serve the pilgrims upon their arrival through all land and sea ports. Al-Yahya commended the distinguished role of the electronic path for domestic pilgrims in terms of facilitating online procedures. He also highlighted the importance of electronic data in drawing lessons and estimating Jawazat's capacity so as to contribute to the smooth movement of pilgrims. The four-day Hajj Expo will conclude on Thursday.
