30,000 pilgrims from Afghanistan will go to the Hajj this year: the first group has arrived in Saudi Arabia

Afghanistan is sending 30,000 pilgrims to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this year. The first group of 230 pilgrims flew to Saudi Arabia on April 29. The Taliban administration officially announced this.

According to the statement, the country's two national airlines have taken responsibility for transporting the pilgrims. They plan to operate a total of 97 flights to Saudi Arabia in May. In addition, special Hajj coordination centers have been opened in various provinces of Afghanistan to facilitate the organizational and logistical work related to the Hajj pilgrimage.

The cost of the trip for each Afghan pilgrim for the Hajj pilgrimage is 3,924 US dollars.

Saudi Arabia also announced the Hajj quotas allocated for the countries of Central Asia in 2025. According to it, 15,000 quotas have been allocated for Uzbekistan, 7,000 for Tajikistan, 4.5 thousand for Kazakhstan, and more than 6,000 for Kyrgyzstan. The quota allocated to Turkmenistan has not yet been announced, but last year 289 pilgrims from this country were allowed to perform the Hajj. A quota of 25,000 has been approved for Russia.

This year, Saudi Arabia has also introduced new regulations for foreign pilgrims. Now, entry to the cities of Mecca and Medina is allowed only with a Hajj visa. Large fines will be imposed on those who provide shelter to pilgrims whose visas have expired or take them to the Hajj illegally.

These innovations were introduced to ensure the safety and order of pilgrims, and Saudi Arabia aims to conduct the pilgrimage in a comfortable and safe environment through this procedure. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!