Saudi Arabia Welcomes the Arrival of the First Batch of Hajj 2026 Landing in Madinah

JAKARTA - Saudi authorities welcomed the first group of pilgrims for the 2026 season who landed at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah. The guests of God came from Pakistan.

The pilgrims landed in Medina, Saturday, April 18 local time, after taking a flight from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. They were released by Sindh Governor Nehal Hashmi and a number of federal officials.

"A total of 160 pilgrims were sent off with the best prayers and hopes," said the Sindh Hajj Directorate, quoted by Aran News, Sunday, April 19.

Saudi Arabia allocated a quota of 179,210 pilgrims to Pakistan this year. Of these, about 118,000 seats are allocated for the government program and the rest for private tour operators.

Apart from Pakistan, the first batch of Bangladeshi pilgrims also arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah on Saturday, April 16, after flying from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Tarique Rahman and the Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah bin Abiyah escorted the pilgrims.

The first flight from the Makkah Route initiative from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia also arrived in Madinah on Saturday.

The first flight carrying pilgrims from Ankara Esenboga Airport in Turkey arrived in Madinah, marking the continued expansion of the Makkah Route initiative, which provides high-quality and efficient services to pilgrims directly from their home countries.

The Directorate General of Passports confirmed its full readiness to facilitate a smooth entry experience for pilgrims at all air, land, and sea ports by deploying advanced technological resources and specialized personnel to ensure the highest standards of service throughout the Hajj season.

The first group of Indian pilgrims was welcomed at the Madinah Airport by Ambassador Suhel Ajaz Khan and Consul General Fahad Ahmed Khan Suri, along with other senior Saudi and Indian officials. Khan also inspected the facilities at the airport and met with Indian community volunteers who helped pilgrims.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior continues to implement the Makkah Route initiative for the 8th consecutive year, expanding services to 17 entry points in 10 countries.

As a flagship project of the Hajj Experience program under Vision 2030, this initiative now for the first time includes Senegal and Brunei Darussalam, joining Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Ivory Coast, and the Maldives.

This initiative is designed to provide a smooth and high-quality hajj experience by completing all entry procedures in the pilgrims' home country. This includes issuing Hajj visas electronically, passport control, and verifying health requirements at the departure airport.

In addition, luggage is coded and sorted according to the accommodation arrangements in Saudi Arabia, so that pilgrims can board special buses upon arrival in Mecca and Medina without having to wait at the baggage claim.

This initiative is implemented in cooperation with the ministries of foreign affairs, health, hajj and umrah, as well as other government entities. Since its launch in 2017, this initiative has served 1,254,994 pilgrims.