Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Saudi minister signs Road to Makkah agreement in Pakistan

Saudi minister signs Road to Makkah agreement in Pakistan

Saudi Deputy Interior Minister Dr. Nasser Al-Dawood signed an agreement on the Road to Makkah project at the Pakistani prime minister’s house on Wednesday, paving the way for Pakistanis to benefit from an initiative aimed at facilitating Hajj for pilgrims from across the Muslim world.
The Road to Makkah initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s Guests of God Service Program, which King Salman inaugurated in 2019 under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to diversify the economy. Under the scheme, Hajj pilgrims go through immigration facilities at their respective countries’ airports.

“Approximately 26,000 Pakistanis will benefit from this project through Islamabad airport. The Saudi immigration and customs will be done at Islamabad airport, allowing the travelers to reach their accommodations in Saudi Arabia in a short time,” Religious Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Umer Butt told Arab News.

The ministry is “striving” to expand this facility to other cities of Pakistan in the coming years, Butt said.

Al-Dawood is on a two-day visit to Pakistan and met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as the interior minister, the federal minister for narcotics control and the army chief.

The Saudi official arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday and held detailed discussions about Hajj arrangements with Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sen. Talha Mahmood.

“They exchanged views on various matters of mutual interest, including the (Road to Makkah) project, arrangements for Hajj, and other areas of cooperation,” a statement issued after their meeting said.

Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki also hosted a dinner reception at the embassy on Tuesday night where Al-Dawood and members of his delegation interacted with the Pakistani interior minister, Rana Sanaullah Khan, and other cabinet members.

Saudi Arabia restored Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims earlier this year and eliminated the age restriction of 65.

Authorities estimate approximately 80,000 Pakistani pilgrims will participate in Hajj this year under the government scheme, while over 91,000 will use private tour operators.

As per the Pakistani Religious Affairs Ministry, Hajj flights from the country will commence on May 21, with the final flight departing for Saudi Arabia on June 21.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×