This facility of the Road to Makkah project is available only at Islamabad Airport in Pakistan since 2019, but Pakistan is trying to gradually provide this facility to pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia from other major airports in the country.
A 12-member delegation of Saudi officials visited Karachi's Jinnah International Airport on Wednesday to explore the possibility of extending the Makkah Route Initiative to Pakistan 's coastal city to facilitate local Haj pilgrims this year.
The Makkah Route Initiative, popularly known as the Road to Makkah , aims to facilitate Hajj pilgrims from around the world through immigration and customs clearance from Pakistan. And pilgrims do not have to go through these steps when they arrive in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Hajj Directorate in Karachi, a high-level delegation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia visited Karachi Airport on Tuesday and senior officials of Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs and related government agencies including Civil Aviation Authority, Customs and Immigration and Consulted with officials of the Anti-Narcotics Force.
Road to Makkah has been launched as part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 plan to avoid lengthy immigration and customs checks upon arrival in Saudi Arabia and significantly reduce pilgrims' waiting time at airports. There is a shortage.
This facility of the Road to Makkah project is available only at Islamabad Airport in Pakistan since 2019, but Pakistan is trying to gradually provide this facility to pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia from other major airports in the country.
Pakistan's Ministry of Hajj was expressing the expectation that the road to Mecca project will be extended to Karachi and Lahore.
Last year, Saudi Arabia restored the quota of 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims, of which 81,000 Pakistanis performed the religious duty under the official Hajj scheme, while others performed the duty with the help of private Hajj operators.
The caretaker government's cabinet late last year gave in-principle approval to the Hajj Policy 2024, which included a proposal to facilitate short-stay Hajj.
Under the official Hajj scheme, pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia stay for 40 days, but under the proposed short-stay Hajj, pilgrims will stay for 20 to 25 days, which will also reduce costs.