Hajj 2024: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia reach annual Hajj agreement

RIYADH – Pakistan and Saudi Arabia reached the annual Hajj agreement on Sunday, months before the holy kingdom is set to welcome around 2 lac Pakistani pilgrims for the spiritual journey.

Caretaker Religious Affairs Minister Aneeq Ahmed and Saudi Arabia’s Hajj and Umrah Minister Taufiq bin Fauzan Al-Rabiah signed the annual Hajj agreement.

Both countries pledged to provide optimal facilities for Pakistani pilgrims, including an economical designated space in Mina.

Aneeq Ahmed, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, departed for Saudi Arabia on Saturday to finalize the arrangements for Hajj 2024.

In November last year, Religious Affairs Minister Aneeq Ahmad unveiled the Hajj policy for 2024, highlighting that Hajj 2024 was et to undergo digitalization under which pilgrims will receive an internet-free mobile application, allowing usage without an internet connection.

Moreover, in terms of seat allocation, Pakistan has secured approximately 179,000 Hajj seats, and half of these will be filled by private Hajj operators.

As far as the details of Hajj 2024 are concerned, the government has introduced a short Hajj package, ensuring completion within 25 days. Priced at Rs 80, 000 more than the Long Hajj package, the cost for Short Hajj stands at Rs 1,140, 000 for individuals from the southern region(Burewala, Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Jhang, and Dera Ghazi Khan) and Rs 1,150, 000 for those from the northern areas (Mansehra, Naran, Kaghan, Gilgit, Chilas, Passu and Karimabad).

For the Long Hajj package, pilgrims will have an extended journey lasting up to 42 days, with eight of those days spent in Medinah. Departing from southern parts like Karachi, Quetta, and Sukkur, the cost of this experience is Rs 1,065,000. For those departing from the northern parts (Mansehra, Naran, Kaghan, Gilgit, Chilas, Passu, and Karimabad) the cost is slightly higher at Rs 1,075, 000.

Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, obligatory for all Muslims who can afford it. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Pilgrims perform a series of rituals, symbolizing unity, equality, and spiritual cleansing.