‘Route to Makkah’ project to help Hujjaj at Karachi airport

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki in their meeting at the CM House discussed the ‘Route to Makkah’ project, and agreed to fulfil all the requirements at the earliest to implement the project.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, federal secretary Attaur Rehman, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Saudi Hajj & Umrah Deputy Minister Mohammad Albejawi and others.

The Route to Makkah project is a mechanism for shifting the immigration and Customs clearance process from Saudi Arabia to the airports of Pakistan in order to relieve Hujjaj from the ordeal of immigration and Customs clearance upon landing in Saudi Arabia.

The CM said the project is very important, adding that he is keen to see it implemented for Hujjaj of Sindh at the Karachi airport. Al-Malki congratulated Shah on taking over as the province’s chief executive for a third time.

The Saudi ambassador told the CM that the pilot project of the Route to Makkah initiative was implemented in 2019 at the Islamabad International Airport. That year 22,000 Hujjaj travelled through this project. In Hajj 2022 and 2023 the Route to Makkah project was again implemented through the Islamabad airport, and 15,629 and 26,546 Hujjaj travelled through it respectively.

After its successful completion, the Prime Minister’s Office ordered upscaling the initiative to four other airports: Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar. Efforts were made to extend the project, but the agreement between both governments was signed on May 17, 2023.

It was discussed that several meetings were held with stakeholders in the Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony to deliberate upon the requirements of the Saudi authorities, and action to be taken by all the ministries, divisions and departments.

Finally, after reaching consensus on the action plan, the readiness for the extension of the project to international airports in Karachi and Lahore was conveyed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 31, 2023.

A delegation led by the Saudi ambassador for upscaling the Route to Makkah project visited the Jinnah International Airport this Tuesday to survey the area to be allocated at the airport. The delegation also met with the officials of the relevant authorities such as Customs, immigration, the Anti-Narcotics Force, the Airport Security Force and the Civil Aviation Authority.

The CM was told that almost all the formalities have been completed to start the project. Shah thanked the Saudi authorities and the ambassador for taking a personal interest in the implementation of the project.