ISLAMABAD: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced to include Pakistan in Road to Makkah project -- a pre-departure Saudi immigration system to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims -- during his historic visit to Islamabad in February 2019.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had personally requested the crown prince to allow Hajj pilgrims to go through the immigration procedure in Pakistan in order to ease their journey.

“Just consider me the ambassador of Pakistan in Saudi Arabia,” the crown prince said at the banquet at the Prime Minister House on February 18, 2019.

Pakistani Hajj pilgrims who reached Saudi Arabia in recent days appreciated the ‘Road to Makkah’ project at Islamabad airport for their smooth pre-departure immigration clearance and other facilities in the cities of Makkah and Madinah including accommodation, food and transportation.

A team of Saudi officials has set up special immigration counters at Islamabad airport under Road to Makkah program, which now helps Pakistani pilgrims save up 10 to 12 hours at the Saudi airports.