The Ministry of Religious Affairs shared on Friday that 26,000 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims benefited from the Makkah Route Initiative last year.
They plan to double this number following the project’s inauguration in Karachi. This initiative allows pilgrims to complete immigration procedures in their departure country, which helps them avoid long waits upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.
The Makkah Route Initiative was introduced in 2019 to streamline the entry process for pilgrims. Pakistani officials confirmed that Saudi Arabia has extended this initiative to Karachi, the country’s largest city.
Secretary Religious Affairs Zulfiqar Haider, along with Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, inaugurated this year’s project at Islamabad International Airport. They announced that immigration and customs procedures for Hajj pilgrims departing from Islamabad would now take place in Islamabad itself, ensuring a smoother journey.
This year, approximately 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj under government and private schemes. Out of these pilgrims, 89,605 will travel under each scheme, with additional quotas allocated to sponsorship schemes.
Five airlines, including Pakistan International Airlines, Saudi Airlines, Airblue, Serene Air, and Air Sial, will operate 259 flights to transport around 68,000 intending pilgrims from eight major cities in Pakistan to Jeddah and Madinah under the government scheme