Morocco is taking a new step in improving the travel conditions of its pilgrims. Saudi Arabia’s initiative Road to Mecca », already successfully deployed at the Mohammed V Airport, will be inaugurated on May 4 at Rabat-Salé Airporton the occasion of the departure of the first flight of pilgrims from this platform.
The ceremony will take place in the presence of the Moroccan Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiqas well as several Moroccan and Saudi personalities. The Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Morocco, Sami bin Abdullah Al-Salehwill deliver a speech on this occasion.
17,000 Moroccan pilgrims affected
The integration of Rabat-Salé into this system marks an important step forward in Moroccan-Saudi cooperation around the organization of the Hajj. According to the data communicated, some 17,000 Moroccan pilgrims will benefit from the service this year through the airports of Rabat-Salé and Mohammed V, or almost half of the national contingent, set at 34,000 pilgrims for the 2026 season.
The launch of the first flight from Casablanca is scheduled for May 7, 2026.
The “Road to Mecca” initiative, part of the Saudi Vision 2030, aims to streamline the journey of pilgrims by completing a large part of the administrative and logistical procedures at the departure airports.
In particular, travelers obtain their electronic Hajj visa on site, after checking the required health conditions. Travel formalities, baggage control and direct transportation to accommodation in Saudi Arabia are also taken care of.
On their arrival in Mecca or Medina, pilgrims are directed directly to their residences, without additional procedures, in conditions similar to an internal flight.
Since its launch in 2018, the program has benefited more than 1.255 million pilgrims from several Muslim countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Ivory Coast, Maldives and Morocco. In 2026, Senegal and Brunei will in turn join the system.
