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Morocco expands "Mecca Route" service to Rabat-Salé Airport for Hajj 2026
via Le Matin2 min read
Morocco is enhancing travel conditions for its pilgrims by extending Saudi Arabia's "Mecca Route" initiative to Rabat-Salé Airport. This service, already operational at Mohammed V Airport, will be inaugurated on May 4, 2026, coinciding with the first pilgrim flight from Rabat-Salé. The ceremony will be attended by the Moroccan Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, along with Moroccan and Saudi dignitaries, including the Saudi Ambassador to Morocco, Sami bin Abdullah Al-Saleh. Approximately 17,000 Moroccan pilgrims, nearly half of the 34,000 national contingent for Hajj 2026, will benefit from this service through Rabat-Salé and Mohammed V airports. The first flight from Casablanca is scheduled for May 7, 2026. Part of Saudi Vision 2030, the "Mecca Route" streamlines the pilgrim journey by completing administrative and logistical procedures at departure airports. Pilgrims receive their electronic Hajj visa on-site after health checks, and travel formalities, baggage control, and direct transfer to accommodations in Saudi Arabia are managed. Upon arrival in Mecca or Medina, pilgrims proceed directly to their residences without further procedures, similar to a domestic flight. Since its 2018 launch, the program has served over 1.255 million pilgrims from various Muslim countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Côte d'Ivoire, Maldives, and Morocco. In 2026, Senegal and Brunei will also join the initiative.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
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