In a significant development for Pakistani pilgrims, Saudi Arabia has approved an additional Hajj quota for Pakistan, allowing 10,000 more individuals to participate in this year’s sacred pilgrimage.
This increase comes following a special request by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Ishaq Dar expressed heartfelt gratitude to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud for the approval. He revealed that the decision to expand the Hajj quota was made after a telephonic conversation with Prince Faisal on April 9. Dar hailed the move as a “brotherly gesture” and a major step in strengthening the historic bilateral relations between the two nations.
With this additional Hajj quota, the total number of Pakistani pilgrims performing Hajj in 2025 is expected to exceed 90,000. According to Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, these pilgrims will travel under both government and private Hajj schemes. Under the official government quota, 89,000 pilgrims will fly via five designated airlines.
The Hajj operation is scheduled to commence on April 29, with the first flight (ER 1611) departing from Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport at 10:15 PM, carrying 285 pilgrims to Madinah. Initially, all Hajj flights will be directed to Madinah Airport; flights to Jeddah Airport will begin from May 14.
The full Hajj flight schedule is now available through the Pak Hajj mobile application. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is set to operate 280 pre-Hajj flights from April 29 to June 1, facilitating over 56,000 pilgrims. The post-Hajj operation will run from June 12 to July 10.
As the Hajj season nears, this additional quota comes as a welcome relief, reflecting the Saudi government’s commitment to facilitating more Pakistani pilgrims. The new Hajj quota not only strengthens diplomatic ties but also ensures greater access to the holy journey for thousands of Pakistani Muslims.