The Makkah Road Initiative 1440AH was inaugurated today at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Indonesia, in the presence of Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla; Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Dr. Lukman Hakim Saifuddin; Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Essam Abed Al-Thaqafi; and a number of officials. Following the inauguration, the first flight of Indonesian pilgrims was launched after completing their entry into the Kingdom via dedicated lanes at the airport in a record time with 410 pilgrims on board. The Indonesian Vice President was briefed on the services being provided by the Saudi team in order to facilitate the journey of Indonesian pilgrims through advanced technical services, within the framework of the care by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH Crown Prince for pilgrims and Umrah performers. Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia said that the implementation of the Makkah Road Initiative in Indonesia for the second year confirms the success of cooperation between the two countries' authorities to serve Indonesian pilgrims and facilitate their journey from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
