ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Over a thousand pilgrims from the Kurdistan Region are traveling to Saudi Arabia by land and air to perform the Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.
“All preparations for the land convoy of pilgrims have been completed. Rest areas and meals have been prepared for them along the way, and upon their arrival, a special delegation from the Hajj Directorate will welcome them and escort them to their accommodations at the hotel,” Karwan Stooni, spokesperson for the General Directorate of Hajj and Umrah in the Kurdistan Region, told Rudaw on Friday.
“Today, pilgrims from Sulaimani and Halabja provinces departed, and tomorrow, pilgrims from Erbil and Duhok provinces will depart," he added.
Those who began their journey by land on Friday are expected to arrive in Karbala, southern Iraq by nightfall and continue to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, reaching Medina on Sunday.
Hajj flights from Erbil and Sulaimani airports are scheduled to begin on Monday.
This year, 1,646 people from the Kurdistan Region will travel to Saudi Arabia by land, while 3,490 people will go by air.
The annual pilgrimage holds deep religious significance as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is a mandatory act of worship for Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake the journey.
Hajj, which occurs from the 8th to the 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar, falling in early June in 2025, requires pilgrims to arrive in advance to prepare for the physically and spiritually demanding rituals in Mecca.
