Karachi's Jinnah International Airport has been included into the Road to Makkah project, marking a significant development in facilitating pilgrims' journeys to the holy cities.
Under this initiative, pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj will experience streamlined immigration procedures, eliminating the need for immigration checks upon arrival at Jeddah and Madinah airports. Instead, the immigration process will be conducted by the staff of Saudi Aviation at the Karachi airport.
To accommodate this endeavour, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has allocated space for two dedicated immigration counters for Saudi immigration at Karachi Airport.
The Road to Makkah project's inaugural Hajj flight is set to depart from Karachi on May 9, said Gulzar Soomro, the director of Hajj in Karachi. He further said the project will cater to 16,281 pilgrims departing from Karachi and an additional 1,000 pilgrims from Sukkur, all under the government scheme.
Furthermore, he disclosed that 2,200 pilgrims from Quetta will also depart from Karachi as part of the Road to Makkah project.
In a demonstration of the government's commitment to pilgrims' welfare, the Hajj director announced that the government will cover the cost of plastic wrapping for pilgrims' belongings, ensuring the safety and security of their possessions throughout their journey.
