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Saudia decides to include Pakistan in Road to Makkah project

Saudia decides to include Pakistan in Road to Makkah project
April 4, 2019
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Saudi Arabia authorities have decided to include Pakistan in its pre-departure immigration facility under the Road to Makkah project on Thursday. According to the details garnered, the delegation of Saudi officials arrived here to hold talks with Pakistani officials, has left after completing the visit. Pakistani officials have requested the Saudi authorities for considering addition of five Pakistani airports in Road to Makkah project. The Saudi officials have selected Islamabad and Karachi airports as pilot project for the pre-departure immigration facility, it said. However, the Saudi delegation has expressed satisfaction over the security, customs, immigration, airlines and civil aviation arrangements at Pakistani airports. The Saudi government will decide about inclusion of other airports of Pakistan in the project. Pakistan has requested for addition of the airports of Lahore, Multan and Peshawar in the project. Pakistani pilgrims will now have immigration clearance done in Pakistani airports and they will not have to pass through immigration and custom checking after landing at airports in Saudi Arabia. The “Road to Makkah” project will initially applicable only to the Hajj flights. The Saudi delegation during its stay in Pakistan called on Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Noorul Haq Qadri and conveyed a message of goodwill of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud. Under the ‘Road to Makkah’ project, all the immigration requirements of 90 per cent Pakistani Hajj pilgrims would be fulfilled in the homeland. The delegation also held meetings with other stake holders. The project also includes other Muslim countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia.
Pakistan, Saudia agree to accelerate Road to Makkah project
Earlier, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to speed up work on the “Road to Makkah” project, on Tuesday. A delegation led by Saudi Director-General Sulaiman Al-Yahya met the officials of Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry in Islamabad and briefed the authorities on the project. Under the Saudi government’s Road to Makkah project, Pakistani pilgrims will go through customs and immigration process at the Pakistani airports before leaving for Hajj. They won’t have to wait for 10-12 hours after arriving in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Religious Affairs spokesperson said.