The initiative was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Saudi Arabia) and has been implemented in five countries: Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, and Bangladesh.
[1] The Road to Makkah initiative is part of Saudi Arabia's efforts to make the Hajj pilgrimage more convenient and efficient for pilgrims.
The initiative has been praised by many pilgrims, who have said that it has made the process of traveling to Mecca much easier.
[2][3] Under the Road to Makkah initiative, pilgrims are able to complete their immigration requirements at their home country's airport before they depart for Saudi Arabia.
This saves pilgrims several hours upon arrival in the kingdom, as they can simply enter the country without having to go through immigration again.