KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has slashed its airfare for Pakistanis who intend to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah pilgrimage, a PIA spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The development comes days after Saudi Arabia ended almost all COVID-19 restrictions, including social distancing and wearing masks at open places, after a significant drop in coronavirus cases worldwide.
Worshipers are no longer required to be socially distant inside mosques, including the holy sites in Makkah and Madina. The kingdom has also abolished the requirement for incoming travelers to undergo a mandatory COVID-19 quarantine.
“To facilitate pilgrims who would want to go on the sacred journey in large numbers after COVID-19 restrictions are over, the PIA has slashed the return fare on its flights to Madinah and Jeddah by Rs5,000 ($27.88),” PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan told Arab News.
“The cut, which has been implemented last week, will [remain] intact till further orders.”
Khan said the return fare has been reduced to Rs95,628 ($534) from Rs100,000 ($558).
PIA operates Umrah flights to the kingdom from major Pakistani cities of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar.
Flight PK-9759 is operated from Lahore to Jeddah, PK-9741 fly from Islamabad to Jeddah, PK-9731 operates between Karachi and Jeddah and PK-9735 is operated from Peshawar to Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia suspended the Umrah pilgrimage following the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 but reopened it to a limited number of vaccinated residents in October last year.
Before the start of the pandemic, Pakistan’s Hajj and Umrah operators facilitated travel packages for nearly two million pilgrims every year, out of which up to 1.8 million were Umrah pilgrims.
Estimates show that in 2019, Pakistan’s religious tourism market, excluding travel to Iran and Iraq, stood at Rs245 billion (approximately $1 billion).
PIA cuts fares for Umrah pilgrims after Saudi Arabia lifts COVID-19 curbs
https://arab.news/4xzg9
PIA cuts fares for Umrah pilgrims after Saudi Arabia lifts COVID-19 curbs
- Return airfare have been slashed by Rs5,000 from all stations to Saudi destinations
- Development comes days after Saudi Arabia lifted all coronavirus-related restrictions
Pakistan president meets UAE counterpart, explores trade, investment opportunities
- Asif Ali Zardari is in UAE on four-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties, review bilateral cooperation
- Both sides discuss regional, international developments, reaffirm commitment to promote peace
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday during which both sides explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy and other sectors, Zardari's office said.
Zardari arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening with a high-level delegation on a four-day official visit to the UAE to review trade, economic and security cooperation.
"The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE," a statement from Zardari's office said about his meeting with the UAE president.
"They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, highlighting the significant potential for expanding economic and strategic partnership.
Zardari highlighted the significance of Al-Nayhan's visit to Pakistan last month, the statement said, expressing appreciation for the UAE's continued support for strengthening bilateral ties.
It said both sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international developments, reaffirming their commitment to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan's First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the Pakistani president's son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan's ambassador to the UAE.
ZARDARI MEETS AD PORTS CEO
Zardari earlier met AD Ports Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al-Shamisi to discuss the group's investment initiatives in Karachi.
"Both sides agreed that the expansion and modernization of port infrastructure would strengthen trade flows and support Pakistan’s broader economic development and country’s seaborne trade," the President's Secretariat said in a statement.
It added that Zardari described the AD Ports Group's long-term investment and expanding role in Pakistan's maritime and logistics sector as a key pillar of Pakistan–UAE economic cooperation.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close political and economic relations, with Abu Dhabi playing a pivotal role in supporting Islamabad during periods of financial stress through deposits, oil facilities and investment commitments.
The UAE is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States, and a key destination for Pakistani exports, particularly food, textiles and construction services.
The Gulf state is also home to more than 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities in the world, who contribute billions of dollars annually in remittances, a crucial source of foreign exchange for Pakistan’s economy.
Beyond trade and labor ties, Pakistan and the UAE have steadily expanded defense and security cooperation over the years, including military training, joint exercises and collaboration in counter-terrorism and regional security matters.
