Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has firmly denied media reports alleging that millions of Saudi Riyals designated for Pakistani pilgrims were mistakenly deposited into the wrong bank account.
On Tuesday, a ministry official clarified that the Kingdom’s electronic Hajj management system functions with “the highest standards of transparency and accuracy.” The ministry stated that the claims arose from a misunderstanding of the process. Earlier, some reports incorrectly suggested the funds had been transferred to an account associated with OPEC rather than the intended Saudi authority, causing public concern over potential delays in Hajj 2024.
Saudi authorities reassured that all arrangements for this year’s pilgrimage had been completed well in advance. While Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs fulfilled its obligations on time, several private Hajj operators reportedly failed to secure the necessary contracts, resulting in a number of unutilized slots.
READ MORE: Pakistan Warns of Imminent Indian Strike Amid Rising Cross-Border Tensions
In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a committee to investigate why the full Hajj quota of 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims was not fully utilized.
Despite these issues, the Saudi ministry confirmed that it continues to coordinate closely with Pakistani officials to finalize remaining preparations. On Tuesday, Pakistan’s official Hajj flight operations began, with the first group of 442 pilgrims departing from Islamabad to Madinah.
This year, approximately 89,000 Pakistanis are expected to undertake the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while more than 23,000 will travel through private Hajj operators.
