Over 56,000 Pakistani pilgrims arrive in KSA so far

MAKKAH MUKARRAMAH: The influx of Pakistani pilgrims to Saudi Arabia continues steadily, with the arrival of 4, 077 more pilgrims during the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Pakistani pilgrims in the Kingdom to 56, 272. According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, approximately 47 percent of the pilgrims under the Government Hajj Scheme have already reached the Holy Land. The spokesperson further informed that the transition of pilgrims from Madinah Munawwarah to Makkah Mukarramah is in full swing after they completed their stay and Ziarat. Consequently, the number of pilgrims in Makkah has risen from 44, 370 to 49, 495. Conversely, the count in Madinah has decreased from 7, 825 to 6, 777 as more groups depart for the holy city of Makkah. To ensure the seamless facilitation of the pilgrims, the deployment of support staff (Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj) has been significantly bolstered. The total strength of the facilitation team has been increased from 1, 090 to 1, 259, achieving 80 percent of the total deployment target. This includes 792 field assistants (Moavineen) and 467 medical and technical personnel currently providing round-the-clock services. In view of the increasing number of arrivals, the transport infrastructure has also been expanded. The spokesperson noted that the number of dedicated buses in Makkah has been increased from 230 to 245. This expansion aims to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims in reaching the Masjid al-Haram conveniently for all five daily prayers.

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