An advance team of Khudam ul Hujjaj arrived in Madinah and held a high-level preparatory meeting at the Directorate of Madinah on April 16 to finalise arrangements ahead of the first Pakistani pilgrim arrivals on April 18.
The meeting brought together senior officials including Director Madinah Zahid Sohail, Coordinator Makkah Zulfiqar Khan, Head of the Medical Mission Colonel Muhammad Tauqir Malik, Coordinator Madinah Kashif Hussain and Deputy Coordinator Misbah ur Rehman, alongside other departmental officers to review operational readiness.
Officials examined accommodation, food provision, transport logistics and the airport arrival process to ensure a smooth reception. The Directorate reported that arrangements have been fully computerised and room allocation for the first group of pilgrims is complete to speed settlement on arrival.
According to the briefing, a total of 660 Pakistani pilgrims will arrive in Madinah on April 18 on three flights, with more groups scheduled in the days that follow. This marks the start of Pakistan’s Hajj operation for 2026 with a clear focus on organised and efficient services from day one.
Director Madinah Zahid Sohail said the computerised systems will help monitor food, transport and residential services closely to maintain standards and swift response. Coordinator Makkah Zulfiqar Khan praised the level of preparation and stressed that distribution of all cards to pilgrims must be handled with utmost vigilance to avoid confusion during arrival and transfer.
Staff have been deployed across key sections including food services, residential buildings, airport reception and transport, with each team given defined responsibilities to ensure coordination and prompt action. For Nusuk cards and SIM cards the ministry will remain in close contact with Nusuk authorities and the SIM provider to guarantee smooth distribution.
Coordinator Madinah Kashif Hussain commended the preparations and underlined that effective implementation of the plan requires close coordination between operational teams and local staff at every level. With final preparations complete, authorities say systems are in place to welcome pilgrims to Madinah with care, comfort and respect as they begin their spiritual journey.
