KUALA LUMPUR — Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said that Saudi Arabia plans to bring Umrah pilgrims from Malaysia under the Makkah Route Initiative, which is hitherto implemented only for Hajj pilgrims from a number of countries. "We have reached an agreement to constitute a joint task force to explore the prospect of extending the Makkah Route Initiative to Umrah pilgrims from Malaysia," he said in a joint press conference with Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Mohd Na'im Mokhtar in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. The Makkah Route Initiative provides pilgrims with the highest level of efficiency and comfort in their pilgrimage journey by enabling them to complete their entry procedures to Saudi Arabia in their home countries' airports, and providing direct transfer to accommodation in Makkah and Madinah. This initiative involves dedicated lounges at 11 airports in seven countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Bangladesh, Morocco, and Côte d'Ivoire. Al-Rabiah said that the task force would also examine potential applications of Malaysia's Tabung Haji business model for Haj management in other countries. The minister also unveiled plans to bring out Malay edition of the Nusuk Application as part of the Kingdom's bid to further improve the services for the Malaysian Umrah pilgrims. Al-Rabiah said the Saudi government is actively combating illegal Haj promotion campaigns in collaboration with the Malaysian government. He emphasized the importance of using only official Malaysian and Saudi Arabia platforms for Hajj and Umrah program to ensure a secure pilgrimage experience. "I want to thank the Malaysian government for its thorough organization of pilgrim affairs and commendable training schemes for Hajj pilgrims. Your commitment to ensuring a smooth and meaningful pilgrimage for your citizens aligns perfectly with our dedication to providing the best possible experience for all visitors to the Holy Sites," he said. Al-Rabiah noted that Saudi Arabia hosted 34,753 Hajj pilgrims and more than 280,000 Umrah pilgrims from Malaysia last year. "We look forward to receive more pilgrims and facilitate their pilgrimage trip and enrich their experience of visiting Islamic historic sites in the Kingdom," he added. On his part, Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Mohd Na'im Mokhtar told the press conference that Malaysia supports the stringent measures and severe penalties imposed by the Saudi Arabian government on those who breach its regulations and instructions related to Hajj visa issues. "These measures are intended to ensure the safety of pilgrims performing Hajj in a secure and peaceful environment. "I once again stressed our commitment in educating our prospective Hajj pilgrims to always adhere to and follow the regulations set by the Saudi government," he said. "We had a good discussion regarding future collaborations between our two countries that I hope will bring more ease and comfort to our pilgrims in their Hajj and Umrah journey," Mokhtar added. During his three-day visit to Malasysia, Al-Rabiah and his accompanying delegation met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the matters related to improving the facilities and services for the Malaysian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. They also discussed about ways to further enhance bilateral relations and improve cooperation in sectors like trade, aviation industry and higher education. During the visit, Al-Rabiah reviewed the future vision for developing the services provided to the guests of God, and the opportunities for coordination between the relevant authorities in the two countries to enrich and improve their experience.
