The Road to Makkah project now includes Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, a key step toward simplifying pilgrims’ trips to the holy sites.
Pilgrims coming to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and Hajj will benefit from simplified immigration processes, which eliminate the need for immigration inspections at Jeddah and Madinah airports. Instead, the immigration procedure will be handled by Saudi Aviation workers at the Karachi airport.
To support this effort, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has set aside space at Karachi Airport for two specialized immigration desks for Saudi citizens.
According to Gulzar Soomro, head of Hajj in Karachi, the maiden aircraft for the Road to Makkah initiative would depart from Karachi on May 9. He went on to say that the project will accommodate 16,281 pilgrims going from Karachi and an additional 1,000 pilgrims traveling from Sukkur, all as part of the government initiative.
Furthermore, he said that 2,200 pilgrims from Quetta will embark from Karachi as part of the Road to Makkah project.
In an effort to demonstrate the government’s dedication to pilgrims’ welfare, the Hajj director stated that the government will pay the cost of plastic wrapping for pilgrims’ things, assuring the protection and security of their possessions during their journey.
Iqra Khan