Today, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched the “Mecca Road” initiative in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire in the initiative hall at Abidjan International Airport, in the presence of His Excellency the Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the “Mecca Road” Initiative, the General Director of Passports, Lieutenant General Suleiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, and His Excellency the Minister of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Integration. African and Ivorian expatriates Kandia Kamisoko Kamara, His Excellency the Minister of Interior and Security of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, General Fagundo Gumande, His Excellency the Advisor to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire for Social Affairs and Religious Rituals, Idrissa Kony, the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Côte d'Ivoire, Saad bin Bakhit Al-Qathami, and members of the initiative's supervisory committee.
The “Mecca Road” initiative aims to receive the guests of God and complete their procedures from their countries with ease, starting with issuing the visa electronically and taking biometrics, through to completing passport procedures in the initiative hall at the airport of the country of departure after verifying the availability of health requirements, in addition to coding and sorting. The luggage is in accordance with the transportation and accommodation arrangements in the Kingdom, and upon their arrival they move directly to buses to take them to their residences in Mecca and Medina, using designated routes, while the competent authorities are responsible for delivering their luggage to their residences.
It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Interior is implementing the initiative in seven countries this year 1444 AH, which are: Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Turkey and Côte d’Ivoire, with the participation of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Hajj and Umrah, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA), and the Program. Service for the guests of God, and the General Directorate of Passports.