- Saudi Arabia reverses restriction before May 3 implementation.
- Directorate General of Hajj confirms Saudi policy reversal.
- Children aged 12 and above regain eligibility for pilgrimage.
KARACHI: Saudi Arabia has withdrawn the 15-year age restriction imposed on Hajj pilgrims and restored the previous policy allowing children aged 12 and above to travel for the pilgrimage, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said on Saturday.
The Saudi government reversed the recently announced policy which was due to come into force on May 3.
The authority said that Hajj visas previously rejected under the 15-year age restriction policy would now be reprocessed following the latest decision.
According to the airports’ authority, Hajj visas that were previously rejected under the 15-year age restriction policy will now be reprocessed.
The Directorate General of Hajj also confirmed the reversal of the restriction by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Earlier, Saudi authorities had barred pilgrims under the age of 15 from entering the Kingdom for Hajj 2026, resulting in the revocation of visas issued to all under-15 pilgrims.
“Government of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has restrained the entry of under 15 years pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and instructed that no flight departing from any country to Saudi Arabia shall be permitted to carry any pilgrim who will be under 15 years of age on 27th May 2026 (corresponding to 9th Zulhijjah 1447 — Day of Arafat),” the Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement earlier today.
The Saudi government had also announced a full refund of the deposited amount to the affected pilgrims.
It is to be noted here that Hajj flight operations from Pakistan began on April 18, with the first batch carrying 160 pilgrims departing from Karachi via a private airline.
Under the official Hajj scheme, around 119,000 pilgrims from Pakistan will be transported to Madinah and Makkah. Of these, 67,230 male pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia under the government programme, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
Under the government Hajj scheme, 51,846 female pilgrims from Pakistan will travel to the holy sites of Madinah and Makkah.
