Hada News
Makkah's Royal Commission wants comments by 20 October on permit rules for passenger buses entering the city and holy sites
The draft, listed on the Istitlaa consultation platform since 20 September by a regulatory tracker's count, would tie the entry of passenger buses to a permit issued to vehicles that meet approved requirements. A week of the comment window is left.
Coach operators, Umrah and Hajj transport companies and anyone else who runs passenger buses into Makkah have until 20 October 2026 to comment on draft controls and requirements for the entry of passenger buses into Makkah and the holy sites. The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites has published the draft on Istitlaa, the government's public consultation platform.
What it would do: according to a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) round-up of Istitlaa projects on 5 October, also carried that day by the official gazette Umm Al-Qura, the draft is designed to regulate the entry of passenger buses into the area it covers, through a permit system open only to buses that satisfy approved requirements and specifications. In the project's own description, the rules are meant to suit the sanctity and standing of Makkah and the holy sites and to take account of the environment and safety requirements.
Timeline: Bawadir, a tracker of Saudi regulatory filings, dates the Istitlaa listing to 20 September and records the draft as not yet gazetted. Maaal reported on the draft the same day under a headline saying it sets 12 conditions for a permit and a 12-month permit term. Hada has not been able to check those two figures against the draft itself, and the SPA round-up does not list the conditions.
Why it matters: if adopted, driving a coach into Makkah and the holy sites would depend on holding a permit tied to approved vehicle requirements, which touches fleet planning and contracts for operators that move pilgrims and visitors by road. The consultation is the point at which operators can raise practical issues, such as lead times for permits or how existing fleets would be treated.
Sources: SPA Istitlaa round-up, 5 Oct 2026 (also Umm Al-Qura, 5 Oct, and Al-Jazirah, 7 Oct); Bawadir regulatory tracker; Maaal, 20 Sep 2026.
Watch next: the full list of requirements in the Istitlaa file, the final text after 20 October, and when the rules would take effect once approved.