ISLAMABAD: Officials from Islamabad and Riyadh held talks on Sunday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries’ aviation sectors and “expansion” of Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) operations to the Kingdom.
The meeting between Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz and Abdulhadi Al Mansouri, President of the Kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) was held on Sunday, a statement released by the Pakistani Embassy in Riyadh said.
“The two sides exchanged views on further expansion of PIA flight operations in the Kingdom,” it added.
Ambassador Ejaz thanked Al Mansouri for allowing select PIA flights to operate to the Kingdom, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which facilitated “Pakistani expatriates intending to travel to Pakistan” during the outbreak.
Last week, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said that from Oct. 28, Pakistan had increased its flight frequency to Saudi Arabia from 23 to 40 flights per week, due to a spike in demand as “more and more Pakistani nationals wanted to travel to the Kingdom,” especially for employment opportunities.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia resumed the Umrah pilgrimage for foreign pilgrims after a seven-month pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MRA) welcomed the Kingdom’s decision with its spokesman, Imran Siddiqui, telling Arab News: “It’s a good step by Saudi Arabia, and it is a blessing for Muslims around the world.”
The resumption of Umrah for international visitors follows Saudi’s decision to suspend the pilgrimage in February this year as part of its efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Last year, the pilgrimage drew 19 million visitors to Saudi Arabia, with Pakistan topping the list with more than 2.1 million Umrah pilgrims.