The first of the 180 Pakistani flights of the Hajj scheduled to fly to the Jeddah of Saudi Arabia, part of the road to the Makkah initiative, arrived at King ABdul Aziz’s international airport from Islamabad with 310 Pilgrims Haj, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported today.
Released in 2019 at Islamabad airport and then extended to Karachi, the road to the Makkah initiative offers an exemption to Haj’s pilgrims from the immigration process in Saudi airports when cleaning them in their respective airports in Pakistan by Saudi immigration officials before addressing their flights.
Marking the second phase of the initiative, the passengers were received at the airport by the Minister of Religious Affairs and the interreligious harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, general consul of Pakistan in Jeddah Khalid Majid, DG Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro and the main officers of the Consulate General of Pakistan. The pilgrims were presented by the receiving part.
This year, it is estimated that 50,500 Pilgrims from Haj will travel to Saudi Arabia under the initiative, with 28,000 that leave Islamabad and 22,500 of Karachi during 180 flights, of which 100 will leave Islamabad and 80 of Karachi.
Housing and other essential facilities for all pilgrims have been organized, including service personnel, such as medical staff and officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, to facilitate the pilgrims of the HAJ.
In April, a Saudi immigration team arrived in the country to process Pakistani Pilgrims at the Jinnaah International Airport and Islamabad International Airport.
In 2025, the Haj quota of Pakistan was established in 179,210, with half of the quota destined to be administered by Haj private operators. However, only 23,000 people were able to go under private operators.
Haj, one of the fundamental pillars of Islam, is carried out every year by millions of Muslims around the world. Pakistan receives one of the highest Haj quotas in Saudi Arabia.
