ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Saudi officials will arrive Karachi on February 26 to review direct immigration arrangements for Hajj pilgrims at the city’s Jinnah International Airport, according to a notification by Pakistan’s ministry for religious affairs.
The Makkah Route Initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s Guests of God Service Program, which King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud inaugurated in 2019 under the Saudi Vision 2030 to diversify the economy. Under the scheme, Hajj pilgrims go through immigration facilities at their respective nations’ airports.
Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said in 2023 that it planned to expand the Makkah Route Initiative to airports in cities other than Islamabad as well, notably the port city Karachi.
The letter said the delegation would meet officials of the Federal Investigation Agency, Airport Security Force, Pakistan Customs, Immigration department, and Anti-Narcotics Force in Karachi.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to accompany delegation
Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan, will accompany the delegation during their tour to the airport, the notification said.
The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage that has been in practice for more than 1,400 years. It is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, and requires every adult Muslim to undertake a journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime (if they are physically and financially able). This year’s pilgrimage is likely to run from June 14 till June 19.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia restored Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims and abolished the upper age limit of 65 years. Over 81,000 Pakistani pilgrims performed Hajj under the government scheme last year, while the rest used private tour operators.
