Saudi delegation arrives in Pakistan to oversee 'Road to Makkah' project

Immigration teams are coordinating closely to ensure a smooth departure process for Hajj participants

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A 45-member Saudi delegation arrived in Pakistan on Sunday to review arrangements for the Road to Makkah project, aimed at facilitating Pakistani Hajj pilgrims.

Officials from Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs welcomed the delegation at Islamabad International Airport, where the project’s operations are set to be implemented, Express News reported

Under the initiative, immigration procedures for Pakistani pilgrims will be completed in Pakistan before departure, rather than upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.

This year, around 50,500 Pakistani pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia under the Road to Makkah project.

Approximately 28,000 pilgrims will depart via Islamabad International Airport and 21,000 from Karachi International Airport, officials said.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed that 100 Hajj flights will operate from Islamabad and 80 flights from Karachi under the project.

Dedicated immigration counters are being set up at both airports to facilitate the pilgrims.

The Road to Makkah project, first launched in 2019, is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader effort to ease the Hajj process for pilgrims from selected countries.