MADINAH: Hundreds of Pakistani pilgrims embarked on their sacred journey to Hajj this week, arriving at the Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.
Three flights from Karachi and Islamabad carried a total of 530 eager pilgrims, marking the official start of the Hajj season for Pakistanis.
These pilgrims, filled with anticipation and devotion, were warmly welcomed by Pakistani officials in Saudi Arabia. Having prepared for this moment for years, they are now in the holy city of The Holy Prophet (SAWW). They will spend the next few days visiting holy sites and preparing themselves for the upcoming Hajj rituals.
Nearly three million Muslims from around the world, including over 179,000 Pakistanis, will converge on the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah for this sacred pilgrimage. After their time in Madinah, the pilgrims will travel to Makkah to perform the core rites of Hajj, including circumambulating the Kaaba and the symbolic stoning of the devil.
The pre-Hajj flight operation continues to bring pilgrims to Madinah. Eleven flights carrying over 2,000 pilgrims are scheduled to arrive on Thursday from major Pakistani cities. This operation will facilitate the arrival of thousands more pilgrims before concluding on June 10th. For the first half of the operation, flights will land in Madinah, and then switch to Jeddah for the remainder.
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