Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the annual Hajj agreement for 2025 on Monday, allowing 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims to perform Hajj this year. The agreement includes provisions for special accommodations in Mina at reduced rates.

The signing ceremony took place in Jeddah, where Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabiah formalized the agreement. Pakistan secured one of the highest Hajj quotas from Saudi Arabia.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the agreement ensures the best facilities for Pakistani pilgrims, including comfortable housing in Mina. The Saudi minister pledged full support to enhance services for pilgrims.

A new short Hajj program, ranging from 20 to 25 days, has been introduced to make the journey more convenient. Pilgrims can now choose to stay in Madinah for 4 to 8 days. Additionally, each pilgrim will receive a specially designed bag featuring the Pakistani flag, a QR code for identification, and essential information.

A dedicated mobile app will provide pilgrims with updates on their Hajj groups, flight schedules, training sessions, live maps, and accommodation details in Saudi Arabia.

Under Pakistan’s Hajj Policy 2025, women must have consent from their husbands or parents to register for Hajj, despite being allowed to travel without a male guardian (mahram) as per the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). Meanwhile, children under 12 years of age will not be allowed to participate, in line with Saudi government regulations.

Hajj, one of Islam’s five pillars, is a significant religious obligation that must be undertaken at least once by Muslims who are financially and physically capable. Each year, millions of Muslims gather in Makkah and surrounding areas to perform the sacred rituals over several days. Pakistan continues to hold one of the largest Hajj quotas granted by Saudi Arabia.