As many as two flights of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), carrying a total of 633 intending Pakistani pilgrims from Islamabad under the Road to Makkah Initiative, will land at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, on Wednesday-one in the morning and the other in the evening.
Talking to APP on Tuesday, Director General (DG) Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro said that the second phase of the Hajj flights operation will commence tomorrow (Wednesday). Under this phase, the first PIA flight, PK-741, carrying 305 guests of Allah Almighty (intending pilgrims), is scheduled to land at King Abdulaziz International Airport at 10:10 a.m., while the second flight, PK-759, carrying 328 pilgrims, will arrive at 6:55 p.m., he said.
He said that around 29,000 Pakistani pilgrims have already arrived in Saudi Arabia. Of these, 14,000 are currently in Makkah and 15,000 are stationed in Madinah. Under the government scheme, approximately 39,000 pilgrims will arrive in Madinah, while the remaining over 49,000 will land in Makkah.
The DG stated that the pilgrims have expressed complete satisfaction with the arrangements made by the Pakistan Hajj Mission this year.
He said that the Hajj Mission has taken historic measures to provide state-of-the-art facilities, particularly during the five key days of Hajj in Mashair, from 8 to 12 Zilhaj.
Traditional mattresses have been replaced with sofa-cum-beds, tents have been upgraded with gypsum board walls and air conditioners have been added alongside existing air coolers. The Dg said elevated luggage storage racks have also been introduced to enhance comfort and , pilgrims in Mina will receive five meals a day-three freshly prepared and two packaged.
Abdul Wahab said that last year the temperature had soared to 51 degrees Celsius, but this year it is predicted to be significantly lower.
In Makkah, the pilgrims are being accommodated in the “best hotels and buildings” in the Azizia and Batha Quraish neighborhoods. He said around 89,000 individuals will perform Hajj under the government scheme this year, while 23,620 Pakistanis will do so through private tour operators.
He also said that Mouavineen (support staff) are providing round-the-clock services to the pilgrims. “All-out efforts are being made to extend maximum facilities to the pilgrims with zero complaints,” he added.
In response to a query, the DG lauded the Saudi government, especially the DG Hajj and the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, for their full cooperation in facilitating Pakistani pilgrims.
He went on to say that Saudi Arabia has revolutionized the spiritual experience of Hajj pilgrims by introducing various mobile applications and digital platforms.
Over the last few years, Saudi Arabia has launched mobile apps like Nusuk, Hajj Navigator, Tawakkalna, and Asefny to enhance the experience by offering real-time guidance and essential services.