Saudi Arabia has agreed to host 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims for Hajj 2025 following a formal agreement signed between Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj.
Under the agreement, Pakistani pilgrims will have a designated area in Mina, with reduced rates for these arrangements. Pilgrims will also have the flexibility to choose their stay in Madinah, ranging from four to eight days. Additionally, a new shorter Hajj program, lasting 20 to 25 days, has been introduced to accommodate varying preferences.
The Saudi Hajj Ministry has pledged full cooperation to ensure high-quality services for Pakistani pilgrims, aiming to enhance their experience during the pilgrimage.
Private Hajj Scheme Bookings Open
On January 10, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs granted private Hajj operators and their sub-companies permission to begin bookings for Hajj 2025. These bookings will remain open until January 31, 2025.
The ministry has shared details of various packages under the Private Hajj Scheme on its official website. Basic packages are priced between Rs. 1.1 million and Rs. 2.15 million, while premium packages exceeding Rs. 3 million require approval from the ‘Hajj Policy Formulation Committee.’
Private operators must adhere to the Service Provider Agreement (SPA) and submit detailed information for packages costing over Rs. 3 million during the approval process.