Pakistan has officially asked Saudi Arabia to raise its Hajj quota to 230,000 pilgrims, according to Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, as reported by state media. The request aims to allow more Pakistanis to participate in the annual pilgrimage.
For Hajj 2025, Saudi Arabia allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims, split equally between government and private Hajj operators. Registration for this year’s pilgrimage has already closed, with over 450,000 applications received.
Speaking at a reception at Darul Uloom Mansehra, Minister Yousaf explained that the request for a higher quota is based on Pakistan’s population, hoping to accommodate more aspiring pilgrims.
He also noted that the surge in Hajj applications reflects renewed public confidence in the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Additionally, Yousaf mentioned that Saudi authorities are working to digitize the Hajj management system, which is expected to streamline services and make the pilgrimage experience more efficient for future participants.
Despite the high demand, a significant portion of the private Hajj quota for 2025 went unused due to delays by private operators in completing payments and registrations.
These companies cited technical issues and communication problems as the main reasons for the shortfall, while the government successfully filled its share of over 88,000 pilgrims.
