Over 4,600 Kurdish pilgrims attend this year’s Hajj

NEWSROOM – This year, 4,685 residents from the Kurdistan Region have registered to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, Karwan Stuni, spokesperson for the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah in Kurdistan, told 964media.

Stuni said the first group of pilgrims is scheduled to depart on May 27, with 1,640 individuals traveling by land between May 27 and June 5, 2024.

The reported number of pilgrims exclusively includes those traveling through official channels.

However, Stuni cautioned that individuals opting for other means, such as one-year tourist visas to Saudi Arabia for Hajj purposes, may face potential penalties from the Saudi government.

According to Stuni, the official cost for air travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj has been set at 6,350,000 Iraqi dinars (around $5,000), while the land route costs 5,300,000 dinars (approximately $4,000).

“These prices include accommodations, meals, and services for the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia,” emphasized Stuni.

Flights to Saudi Arabia for Hajj are scheduled to operate from the international airports in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.