ISLAMABAD: A forty-five-member Saudi delegation has arrived in Pakistan to review the arrangements under the Road to Makkah project.
Officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs received the delegation upon arrival at the Islamabad International Airport.
The Makkah Route Project streamlines immigration procedures by allowing Hajj pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports.
First launched in Islamabad in 2019, the programme was later expanded to Karachi, benefiting tens of thousands of Pakistani travellers.
This year, the annual pilgrimage is expected to take place in June, with nearly 90,000 Pakistanis set to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme, while an additional 23,620 pilgrims will perform Hajj through private tour operators.
“A 45-member delegation has arrived in Pakistan to review arrangements for the Road to Makkah project,” the religious affairs ministry said in a statement.
The statement added that 50,500 Pakistani pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia under the programme. Of these, 28,000 pilgrims will leave for the Kingdom from Islamabad, while the remaining 22,500 will depart from Karachi.
“A total of 100 flights from Islamabad and 80 flights from Karachi will operate under the Road to Makkah project,” the statement said.
It said counters for pilgrims will be set up at Islamabad and Karachi airports. “Under the Road to Makkah project, immigration for Pakistani pilgrims will be completed in Pakistan instead of Saudi Arabia,” the ministry said.
Pakistan is set to begin its Hajj flight operations on April 29, with the first flight departing from Lahore.
While the exact number of pilgrims for Hajj 2025 is yet to be confirmed, early projections indicate it could be a record-breaking year, with more than 2.5 million pilgrims expected to participate.
