ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Af­fairs and Interfaith Har­mony Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Saudi Minis­ter of Haj and Umrah Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabiah signed the annual Haj agreement 2025.

The agreement was signed in Jeddah, formally recognising that 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims will perform Haj this year.

The agreement includes a commitment to provide the best possible facilities to Pakistani pilgrims, who will be offered special accommodation in Mina at reduced rates.

Under the accord signed in Jeddah, 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims will perform Haj this year

The Saudi Minister of Haj and Umra, Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabiah, assured Mr Hussain to provide all possible support for better facilities for Pakistani pilgrims.

Stay in Madina

To make the Haj journey more accessible, easier, and comfortable, a short Haj programme of 20 to 25 days has been introduced. Pilgrims will have the option to choose their accommodation in Madina for a duration of four to eight days.

Each pilgrim will rec­eive a specially designed bag containing the Pakistani flag, a QR code for identification, and relevant information. A special mobile app will provide all information to the pilgrims on their mobile phones, enabling them to stay updated about their Haj group’s information, training schedule, flight details, accommodations in Saudi Arabia, and live maps and locations of sites during Haj.

Mr Hussain will also participate in a four-day international Haj conference and expo in Jeddah organised by the Saudi Ministry of Haj, where additional agreements will be made with institutions and companies responsible for providing facilities to pilgrims.

The Haj quota is allocated by the Saudi Haj ministry based on the Muslim population in the relevant country.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2025