Pakistan’s Caretaker Religious Affairs Minister Aneeq Ahmed and Saudi Hajj Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah sign annual Hajj agreement in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on January 8, 2024
In a significant development, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia formalized the annual Hajj 2024 agreement in Jeddah on Monday. A spokesperson from Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed the signing, outlining that under the agreement, a total of 179,210 pilgrims from the South Asian country will have the opportunity to perform the annual pilgrimage this year.
Also Read
In adherence to the annual Islamic pilgrimage, the Hajj, every Muslim adult is obliged to embark on a journey to the holy sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime, provided they are physically and financially capable. Within the total quota of 179,210 pilgrims, Pakistan has allocated 89,000 to the government scheme, with the remaining pilgrims to be facilitated by private Hajj operators.
Pakistan’s Caretaker Religious Affairs Minister, Aneeq Ahmed, commenced his journey to Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The purpose of his visit is to finalize Hajj arrangements and participate in an international conference hosted by the Kingdom.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have officially signed the annual Hajj general agreement in Jeddah. According to the agreement, a total of 179,210 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will have the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage this year, as confirmed by Muhammad Umer Butt, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Butt stated that the Pakistani delegation accompanying Ahmed would also participate in the World Hajj Expo, scheduled to commence in Jeddah on Monday.
“Hajj Expo will offer more deals for the convenience of pilgrims,” Butt remarked. He added that the Pakistani delegation would visit the stalls of companies providing facilities to pilgrims.
In the previous year, Ahmed had mentioned plans to expand the Makkah Route Initiative, initially limited to Islamabad, to Karachi in 2024. The initiative aims to streamline the process for pilgrims performing Hajj under the government scheme by enabling them to complete all immigration formalities required for entry into Saudi Arabia at their local airports in Pakistan.
Follow us on Facebook / Instagram / Twitter for daily Currency Exchange rates and latest Gold Price.
