Saudi Arabia restores Pakistan’s Hajj quota to pre-pandemic levels.
According to the Federal Ministry for Religious Affairs, Mufti Abdul Shakoor, the Saudi authorities gave him a draft of the annual Hajj agreement. According to this draft, Pakistan’s old Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims has been reinstated, and the age restriction of 65 years has been lifted.
As stated by the ministry, this year’s Hajj proposals will likely be requested by the end of February, and the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs will unveil the Hajj Policy 2023 based on the approval of the cabinet.
However, Tawfiq al-Rabi’ah, the Saudi Arabian Minister of Hajj and Umrah, claimed that:
Delegations from 19 nations, including Pakistan, India, and Iran, signed the Hajj contracts
The Hajj Convention has also been ratified by Turkey, Sudan, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and Bahrain, among others.
He asserted:
The contract specifies the number of pilgrims, their arrivals, departures, and the amenities they will obtain
It should be emphasized that in 2022, only pilgrims between the ages of 18 and 65 who were healthy and had gotten the Corona vaccine were permitted to perform the Hajj.
The Hajj season for this year is anticipated to start on June 26. Saudi Arabia has invested billions over the years to ensure the safety of one of the biggest religious gatherings on earth.
The Hajj serves as a significant source of income for the Saudi government in the form of lodging, logistics, and charges for pilgrims.
By 2030, the financial reform plan of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to increase the number of pilgrims doing the Hajj and Umrah to 30 million annually and generate 50 billion riyals ($13.32 billion) in cash flow.
