Federal Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Saudi Minister of Haj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah on Monday signed the annual Haj agreement between the two countries, which would allow 179,210 pilgrims Pakistanis perform the Haj this year.
The Haj, one of the fundamental pillars of Islam, is performed every year by millions of Muslims around the world. Pakistan receives one of the highest Haj fees from Saudi Arabia.
According to the current Haj quota, some 89,602 people will perform the pilgrimage under the government plan, while the rest will perform it through private tour operators, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
According to a statement issued today by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the agreement included a “commitment to provide the best possible facilities to pilgrims, who will be offered special accommodation in Mina at reduced prices.”
The Saudi minister assured his Pakistani counterpart of all possible support to improve facilities for pilgrims, the statement said.
“To make the Haj journey more accessible, easy and comfortable, a short Haj program of 20 to 25 days has been introduced,” the statement said, adding that pilgrims will have the option to choose their accommodation in Medina for four to eight days. .
“Each pilgrim will receive a specially designed bag containing the Pakistani flag, a QR code for identification and relevant information,” he said.
“A special mobile application will provide all information to pilgrims on their mobile phones, allowing them to stay updated on their Haj group information, training schedule, flight details, accommodation in Saudi Arabia and live maps and locations of the sites during the Haj”.
The statement said that Federal Minister Hussain would also participate in a four-day international Haj conference and exhibition organized by the Saudi Ministry of Haj in Jeddah, where additional agreements would be made with institutions and companies responsible for providing facilities to pilgrims.
The country’s Haj Policy 2025 states that women will be prohibited from performing Haj without the consent of their husbands or fathers. Furthermore, children under 12 years of age would not be allowed to attend the Haj and vaccination with Saudi-approved vaccines was mandatory.
