ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry on Saturday applauded Saudi Arabia for using advanced technology to improve the pilgrimage experience for Muslims, the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency reported, after the kingdom announced its plan to test “flying taxis and drones” during this Hajj season.
Saudi Minister for Transport and Logistics Saleh Al-Jasser spoke earlier this week about intense competition among transportation companies in the kingdom to provide the best traveling means to people. Previously, he also said the flying taxis and drones would be tested during Hajj to provide pilgrims with maximum comfort.
According to some reports, the Saudi Airlines was also considering plans to operate flying taxis to ferry Hajj pilgrims from the Jeddah airport to their hotels in Makkah.
“Saudi Arabia’s commitment to modernizing the pilgrimage experience through innovative technology demonstrates their dedication to ensuring pilgrims’ comfort and convenience,” Muhammad Umar, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry, said.
Umar, who has remained closely involved in his country’s Hajj operations since 2009, also mentioned how the Saudi authorities had introduced various mobile applications to help pilgrims.
“I have witnessed firsthand the dedication and efforts of the Saudi government in facilitating the sacred journey of millions of pilgrims,” he added.
He also highlighted significant improvements in crowd management and the provision of enhanced facilities to pilgrims by Saudi authorities over the years.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime, if they are financially and physically able.
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, according to the Pakistani religious affairs ministry. Of them, 63,805 pilgrims will be performing the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest would be accommodated by private tour operators.
Pakistan praises Saudi Arabia’s use of technology to enhance pilgrim experience with ‘flying taxis’
https://arab.news/98svq
Pakistan praises Saudi Arabia’s use of technology to enhance pilgrim experience with ‘flying taxis’
- Saudi authorities have announced plans to test ‘flying taxis and drones’ during this year’s Hajj season
- Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry says the kingdom has consistently increased its use of technology
Pakistan minister calls for integrating ocean awareness into education to preserve ecosystems
- Pakistan’s maritime sector posted a record $360 million profit in 2025 following a year of sweeping reforms
- Junaid Anwar Chaudhry says education equips youth to make informed decisions, contribute to blue economy
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has urged integrating ocean awareness into formal education systems and empowering youth as active partners in order to preserve marine ecosystems, his ministry said on Saturday.
Chaudhry said this at a meeting with Minister of State for Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, who called on him and discussed strategies for enhancing marine education, literacy, and youth engagement in sustainable ocean management.
Pakistan’s maritime sector posted a record Rs100 billion ($360 million) profit in 2025 following a year of sweeping reforms aimed at improving port efficiency, cost-cutting, and safeguarding marine ecosystems to boost the blue economy.
“Understanding our oceans is no longer optional, it is essential for climate resilience, sustainable development, and the long-term health of our maritime resources,” Chaudhry said, highlighting the critical role of marine literacy.
The minister said education equips youth to make informed decisions and actively contribute to marine conservation and the blue economy, urging inclusion of marine ecosystems, conservation and human-ocean interactions into curricula, teacher training and global citizenship programs.
“Initiatives like ‘Ocean Literacy for All’ can mainstream these elements in national policies, school programs, and community workshops to build proactive citizenship on marine challenges,” he added.
Ocean Literacy for All is a UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission–coordinated global initiative under the UN Ocean Decade (2021–2030) that promotes ocean awareness, education, and conservation.
Chaudhry announced reforms in maritime education, including granting degree-awarding status to the Pakistan Marine Academy, and the establishment of the Maritime Educational Endowment Fund (MEEF) to provide scholarships for deserving children from coastal communities.
“The scholarship program promotes inclusive development by enabling access to quality education for youth from over 70 coastal and fishing communities, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan,” he said.
The discussions underscored raising awareness about oceans, coastal ecosystems and marine resources, according to the Pakistani maritime affairs ministry. Both ministers stressed the need to integrate climate and marine education from classrooms
to community programs, addressing risks like rising sea temperatures, coastal erosion, biodiversity loss and pollution.
“Incorporating marine science and ocean literacy into curricula can help students connect local challenges with global trends,” Qamar said, underscoring education’s transformative power in building social resilience.
The meeting explored translating complex marine science into accessible public knowledge through sustained, solution-oriented awareness campaigns, according to the maritime affairs ministry.
With coastline facing pressures from climate change, pollution, and overexploitation, the ministers called for a coordinated approach blending formal education, informal learning and youth-led advocacy.
“A joint effort by the Ministries of Maritime Affairs and Education can cultivate an ocean-literate generation, transforming vulnerability into resilience and ensuring the long-term sustainability of coastal and marine ecosystems,” Chaudhry said.
