ISLAMABAD: You saved up, you planned, and you are heading out for the journey of your life: the Hajj. For Muslims the world over, on August 9 this year, the sacred religious pilgrimage will begin.
Practical preparations will differ from pilgrim to pilgrim, with much of the logistical planning taken care of by troupes that plot out Hajj for their patrons. But if you are opting to pack for and execute Hajj largely on your own, these are the things you should consider packing for when you are on the go.
Backpack
Free hands will be important. You will be walking for many miles over just a few days and when traveling from place to place, especially in very crowded areas, it will be a relief not to worry about your shoulder bag, and to carry a lightweight backpack instead. There are countless medium-sized varieties in the market, from book bags to washable nylon varieties to knapsacks. Just be sure you get one with various compartments to keep everything organized and handy when you get from one place to another.
Extra pouches
Efficient packing will be key. Think ahead and keep extra pouches with you to keep from having to stop and rummage into the deep, dark depths of your bag. There are great options available on the Internet, like reusable, sealable silicon bags which are transparent so it’s easy to spot exactly what its contents are. Do keep one clean small pouch for your prayer beads, because those have a tricky habit of getting misplaced in large bags.
Belt-packs for passports
For holding valuables like your passport or crucial visa/Hajj requirements, we recommend a belt pack, which can also be worn across the chest or underneath your Hajj garments. This pack could also include unscented hand sanitiser and sun protection. When not in use, a foldable, no frills bag can be folded up and put back into your main backpack.
Travel-sized everything, including prayer mat
Though you can choose to take your favorite prayer mat from home, Makkah is well equipped to handle your prayer mat needs.
Keep it lightweight, much like your backpack, and go for the smaller variety if you’re comfortable doing so. You will be carrying the mat over long distances and will need it throughout your journey. If you want the traditional size that won’t fit into your bag, here’s a pro-tip: use a yoga mat sling which allows you to roll your mat up and just sling it across your back.
Reusable water container
Temperatures in mid August will sore to oppressive heights in Saudi Arabia and with non-stop activity during Hajj, it is imperative that pilgrims stay hydrated. There are water refilling stations outside of mosques and Zam Zam is readily available at most places. A hands free water bag in your backpack with a straw is probably the most practical idea, and you can get it at any place that sells hiking equipment.
First Aid Kit
Whether you buy one ready-made or you put one together, a first aid kit could be the difference between a comfortable Hajj and a Hajj distracted by bangs, bumps and bruises. When walking great lengths, blisters, cuts, and tripping are common and bandaids, blister bandaids, disinfecting wipes and soothing ointments, cotton pads, cough drops,and rehydration tablets should be close to you. Keep yourself hydrated at all times.
Toiletries (Unscented)
At Hajj, Muslims are instructed to leave fragrances at home so fragrance free hygiene products are easily available for purchase once you are there, at various kiosks and shops. Pack everything from unscented body wipes to shampoo in your main luggage, but always carry hand sanitizer and baby wipes (traveling with baby or without) in your handy backpack. For those prone to chaffing, we would recommend carrying some petroleum jelly as well. Additionally, pack fragrance free deodorant, your toothbrush, toothpaste, miswak, mouth wash and any other sanitary products.
Sun Protection
Hats are not permitted during Hajj, but umbrellas and sunblock (fragrance free) are a-ok, and a must-have! The sun will be beating down and the only respite you will get is a bit of shade from under your umbrella. Though women are covered from their wrists to their ankles, the hands, feet and face can be sunburnt quickly. Men must use some kind of sun-protection as they are more exposed to the rays. In addition to a light-weight umbrella (travel sized for your back pack!), consider packing a foldable paper fan and an after sun soother such as an aloe vera gel in pocket size.
Snacks
When you’re out on foot in high temperatures, combatting jet lag and needing to keep your energy levels up, you will need to munch on something. Dried fruits, dates and nuts will be available everywhere on your journey, but if you have dietary restrictions or preferences, pack those up in reusable bags (to lessen waste) for your Hajj.
Extras
The Hajj for many people is the result of a great deal of sacrifice, saving and spiritual struggle. Take time out of your day to write some thoughts down in a notebook with a pen, or as notes in your phone or tablet so you can always revisit the moments. Pack a good portable charger to keep your phone juiced. Make sure your clothing is pure cotton. If traveling with family, tie similar colored bandanas to your backpacks to easily find one another in case you get separated in the crowds.
At Hajj, focus on backpacking with these essential items
At Hajj, focus on backpacking with these essential items
- On August 9, millions of Muslims will head to Makkah to perform the pilgrimage
- The journey which requires miles of walking, needs an efficient and clever packing list
Saudi Tourism Authority signs up as title partner for Pakistan’s top tourism expo next month
- Fourth edition of Pakistan Travel Mart to be held in Karachi from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, followed by roadshow in Islamabad
- Saudi Arabia will feature a dedicated pavilion offering visitors a glimpse into its rich heritage and tourism destinations
KARACHI: The Saudi Tourism Authority will be the title partner for Pakistan’s premier tourism expo set to take place in the commercial capital of Karachi next month, the organizers of the event said on Thursday.
The fourth edition of Pakistan Travel Mart, a leading travel trade show, will bring together key stakeholders and partners from both Pakistan and around the world at the Karachi Expo Center from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, followed by a roadshow in Islamabad on Feb. 4-5.
“This is big news for us,” Adeeba Khalid Jadoon, Chief Marketing Officer of PTM, said as she announced the Saudi partnership. “We are really delighted to have Saudi Arabia as a destination and the Saudi Tourism Authority as our title partner.”
Speaking to Arab News, Jadoon described the partnership as a “breakthrough” that would strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
“The way Saudi Arabia has transformed the tourism landscape, no other country has done that,” she said. “And I think it’s doing exceptionally well when it comes to tourism development, projection of it as a tourism destination.”
Jadoon also praised the “fusion of tradition and modernity” in Saudi Arabia’s tourism offerings.
“There is NEOM, which is completely built on a 100 percent technology foundation, very sleek design, very sleek concept,” she said referring to a futuristic region being built in the desert.
NEOM, a Red Sea urban and industrial development nearly the size of Belgium that is meant to eventually house 9 million people, is central to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
“And if you go toward the AlUla site, it’s a cultural preservation site for the travelers. So, in Saudi Arabia you will find every everyone will find everything for them to experience,” Jadoon added, referring to an ancient Arabian oasis city located in Medina Province, which has become a top tourist site in recent years.
Sophia Al Khawar, Head of Trade and Acting Country Head at the Saudi Tourism Authority, highlighted the wide range of offerings that would be available to Pakistani travelers at the event:
“There are new products for Pakistan. We are supporting you with MICE [Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions]. We are supporting you with destination weddings, solo travel for women. Saudi has something for everyone ... We host eight World Heritage sites. We have the biggest rave festival of the world. The most sustainable traveling there is, is there.”
Saudi Arabia will feature a dedicated pavilion at PTM 2025, providing attendees with an immersive experience of the Kingdom’s tourism offerings.
“If you wanted to know more about Saudi and what we’re offering you, you have to visit it at the PTM because everybody would get a good glimpse. So, see you at PTM and then see you in Saudi,” Khawar added.
For the first time, PTM will introduce a dedicated Tech Hall, bridging technology and travel to enhance consumer experiences, organizers said. Supported by industry partners like the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), the Tech District will feature technology companies, innovative platforms, and startups within the travel and tourism sector.
This year’s PTM will also feature a Learning Enclave, an interactive space showcasing insights from both local and international travel, tourism, and hospitality experts. The enclave will host talks, panel discussions, case studies, and immersive demonstrations, “transforming traditional learning spaces into dynamic environments designed to maximize engagement and knowledge-sharing,” a press release said.
On death anniversary, Pakistani leaders remember Benazir Bhutto, first woman PM in Muslim world
- Bhutto was daughter of ex-PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was hanged during reign of former military ruler Gen. Zia-ul-Haq
- Year before assassination in 2007, Bhutto signed landmark deal with rival Nawaz Sharif to prevent army interventions
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other Pakistani leaders on Friday paid tribute to Benazir Bhutto, the first woman prime minister in the Muslim world who was assassinated 17 years ago in a gun and bomb attack after a rally in the city of Rawalpindi.
Bhutto, born on Jun. 21, 1953, was elected premier for the first time in 1988 at the age of 35. She was deposed in 1990, re-elected in 1993, and ousted again in 1996 amid charges of corruption and mismanagement, which she denied as being politically motivated.
Bhutto only entered politics after her father was hanged in 1979 during military ruler Gen. Zia-ul-Haq’s reign. Throughout her political career, she had a complex and often adversarial relationship with the now ruling Sharif family, but despite the differences signed a ‘Charter of Democracy’ in 2006 with three-time former PM Nawaz Sharif, with a pledge to strengthen democratic institutions and prevent military interventions in Pakistan in the future. She was assassinated a year and a half later.
“Today, we commemorate the 17th anniversary of the martyrdom of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” PM Shehbaz Sharif, who is Nawaz’s younger brother, said in a post on X. “A champion of democracy, and a staunch advocate of the power of dialogue and reconciliation in the political process, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto remains an icon of courage and resilience.”
President Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto’s widower, urged the nation to draw inspiration from the late premier and work to realize her “dream of a peaceful, progressive, and democratic Pakistan.”
“On this day, we honor a leader who embodied the very spirit of hope, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the ideals of democracy and justice,” he was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan.
“Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was a trailblazer who dreamt of a Pakistan where the rights of all citizens, irrespective of color, class and creed, would be protected.”
Powerful families from the Bhuttos and Sharifs of Pakistan to the Gandhis of India and the Bandaranaike family of Sri Lanka have dominated politics in this diverse region since independence from British colonial rule. But none have escaped tragedy at the hands of rebels, militants or ambitious military leaders.
It was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who founded the troubled Bhutto dynasty, becoming the country’s first popularly elected prime minister before being toppled by the army in 1977 and later hanged. Both his sons died in mysterious circumstances.
Before her assassination on Dec. 27, 2007, Bhutto survived another suicide attack on her motorcade that killed nearly 150 people as she returned to Pakistan after eight years in exile in October 2007.
Bhutto’s Oxford-educated son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 36, is now leading her Pakistan Peoples Party, founded by her father, and was foreign minister in the last administration of Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan has been ruled by military regimes for almost half its history since independence from Britain in 1947. Both former premier Imran Khan and the elder Sharif, Nawaz, have alleged that they were ousted by the military after they fell out with the generals. The army says it does not interfere in politics.
Pakistani ministry, Saudi Airlines ink agreement to facilitate Hajj pilgrims — state media
- Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims, to be divided between government and private schemes
- Saudi Airlines will provide travel services for 35,000 Pakistani government-sponsored Hajj pilgrims under the new agreement
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has signed an agreement with Saudi Airlines to facilitate travel of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims, Pakistani state media reported on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims, to be divided equally between government and private schemes.
Under the agreement with the Pakistani religious affairs ministry, Saudi Airlines will provide travel services for 35,000 Pakistani government-sponsored Hajj pilgrims, the state-run APP news agency reported.
“The agreement was formalized during a ceremony attended by Sultan Al-Harbi, Country Manager of Saudi Airlines in Pakistan, and Dr. Syed Ata-ur-Rehman, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony,” the report read.
“This collaboration follows a previous agreement between the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which also pledged travel arrangements for 35,000 pilgrims as part of this year’s Hajj operations.”
The religious affairs ministry has also signed an agreement with the Pakistan’s National Testing Service (NTS), which will hold exams for the selection of supervisors and assistants for next year’s pilgrimage, the ministry said this month.
Pakistan selects hundreds of assistants and doctors from federal and provincial government departments via a competitive process every year to facilitate local pilgrims in performing the rituals of the annual pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The ministry said it would “soon” announce the selection through an advertisement.
The Pakistani government approved a new Hajj policy in November.
The cost of next year’s Hajj under the government scheme is expected to range between Rs1,075,000 to Rs1,175,000, while an additional cost for the sacrifice of animals during the pilgrimage will be Rs55,000, according to the ministry.
The first installment of Hajj dues, amounting to Rs200,000, have to be deposited at the time of the application, while the second installment of Rs400,000 will be paid within ten days of the balloting and if your name is picked in the lucky draw. The remaining amount can be paid by Feb. 10 next year.
Pakistan arrests woman among two more human smugglers after deadly Greek shipwreck
- The boat capsize near the Greek island of Gavdos killed at least five Pakistani nationals this month
- The arrests come days after Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif ordered a crackdown on human smugglers
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have arrested a woman among two more human smugglers after a recent boat tragedy off the coast of Greece that killed at least five Pakistanis, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Thursday, an intensified crackdown on human smuggling networks.
The arrests come in the wake of the boat capsize this month near the Greek island of Gavdos, which highlighted the perilous journeys many migrants undertake, often driven by conflicts in the Middle East. In the case of Pakistani nationals, economic challenges push many young individuals to attempt dangerous crossings to Europe in search of better financial prospects.
The issue of illegal immigration to Europe came under greater scrutiny in the South Asian country last year when hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, who were en route to Greece from Libya, drowned after an overcrowded vessel capsized off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos.
On Thursday, the FIA said it had apprehended suspects, Isha Fatima and Abdullah Shehzad, who were involved in both incidents, in Gujranwala city of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, while the agency was conducting raids for the arrest of other human smugglers.
“Female human trafficker Isha Fatima is involved in the Greek boat accident, while proclaimed offender Abdullah Shahzad is involved in the Libya boat accident that occurred in 2023,” it said in a statement.
“Isha Fatima, with the connivance of other accomplices, trafficked one of the Pakistanis from Libya to Greece via boat. The Pakistani national was rescued in the Greek boat accident [this month].”
The woman suspect had received Rs4.5 million ($16,189) from the survivor, according to the investigation agency. The other suspect, Shehzad, had been involved in the 2023 incident that killed more than 250 Pakistani nationals. He had taken Rs2.9 million ($10,433) from each victim for sending them abroad.
The development came days after the FIA said it had apprehended two suspects in Punjab’s Gujranwala and Gujrat, who were involved in this month’s boat capsize.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this month called for enhanced cooperation with international agencies, seeking swift action against human trafficking networks. He also instructed the FIA to compile a detailed report on migration-related incidents over the past year and implement an Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) to monitor and prevent illegal movement.
“A crackdown on elements involved in the Greek boat tragedy is underway. All resources are being utilized to arrest the suspects,” Abdul Qadir Qamar, FIA Gujranwala zone director, said on Thursday.
“In the light of solid evidence, the accused will be handed down stern punishment.”
Islamabad vows to extend ‘practical support’ to rehabilitate Palestinian educational institutions
- At least 625,000 children have been denied entire year of school due to Israel’s war on Gaza, says UNICEF
- Pakistan and COMSTECH have partnered to provide fully funded scholarships for hundreds of Palestinians
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Education Minister Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Thursday vowed to extend “practical support” to rehabilitate educational institutions in Palestine, the OIC’s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) said.
Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, have killed over 44,000 Palestinians. Israel’s bombardment has dealt a heavy setback for education in the area, and according to a report by UNICEF, 625,000 children have been denied an entire school year in Gaza. With the conflict still ongoing, they face the high risk of a second year without education.
COMSTECH, in collaboration with the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP), initiated a program in 2021 offering 500 fully funded scholarships and fellowships to Palestinian students. This number was increased to 5,000 scholarships in 2023. Many Palestinian students have already arrived in Pakistan under this program and are pursuing full-degree programs.
Siddiqui, along with COMSTECH Coordinator General Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, visited the Palestinian embassy in Islamabad to discuss matters related to education with Palestinian Ambassador Dr. Zuhair Zaid.
“He [Siddiqui] assured that Pakistan is committed to extending practical support for the rehabilitation of educational institutions in Palestine,” a press release by COMSTECH said.
The Pakistani minister reiterated his government and people’s steadfast support for Palestine, COMSTECH said.
“Sharing insights from his recent visit to Oman, he revealed discussions with educational ministers from other countries about joint actions to assist Palestine in the education sector,” it added.
Siddiqui said he has proposed convening an extraordinary meeting of the education ministers from OIC member countries in Islamabad to devise a “comprehensive long-term plan for supporting Palestine.”
Zaid expressed thanked the government, COMSTECH and people of Pakistan, the OIC body said.
“He acknowledged their steadfast support, emphasizing that these efforts will never be forgotten by the Palestinian people,” the statement said.
