President Alvi reaches Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah

Arif was received at the Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport by an entourage of top officials including Prince Saud Bin Khalid Bin Faisal, Deputy Governor of the holy city and Pakistan’s Consul-General Sheheryar Akbar Khan. (AFP/File)

• This is his first visit to the Kingdom
• Ministers from Islamabad and Riyadh ink deal to increase annual Hajj quota for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi reached Medina in Saudi Arabia on Sunday night to perform Umrah.
He was received at the Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport by an entourage of top officials including Prince Saud Bin Khalid Bin Faisal, Deputy Governor of the holy city and Pakistan’s Consul-General Sheheryar Akbar Khan.
This is Dr. Alvi’s first visit to the Kingdom after he assumed office on September 4 this year.
Earlier in the day, religious affairs ministers from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement increasing the annual Hajj quota for Pakistan in 2019.
According to the agreement, 184,210 Pakistani Muslims will fulfill their religious obligations next year after the Saudi government increased the quota to 5,000 pilgrims under the Road to Makkah project.
A spokesperson for the ministry of religious affairs told Arab News that “Pakistani pilgrims will be issued e-visas according to the agreement.”