Hajj 2026: Saudi Arabia makes fresh announcement about age

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has withdrawn its earlier decision to set a minimum age of 15 years for Hajj pilgrims, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony said on Saturday.

In a statement, the ministry confirmed that Saudi authorities have revoked the restriction shortly after announcing it.

According to the revised directive, pilgrims aged above 12 years will now be allowed to perform Hajj, restoring the previous policy.

Earlier decision

Earlier, the ministry had announced that Saudi Arabia had set the minimum age for Hajj pilgrims at 15 years for 2026. Under that directive, no pilgrim below 15 years (as of May 27, 2026, corresponding to Day of Arafah) was to be allowed to travel, and airlines were instructed not to carry underage pilgrims.

However, the decision has now been reversed, and the earlier age limit of 12 years remains in effect.

Health facilities for Pakistani pilgrims in Makkah and Medinah

Meanwhile, Director General Hajj Jeddah, Abdul Wahab Soomro, has announced the phased establishment of 35 modern clinics in Makkah and Medinah to provide comprehensive health facilities to 119,000 Pakistani pilgrims under Saudi Ministry of Health regulations.

To address space constraints near the Pakistan Hajj Mission office in Azizia, a new and expansive central clinic has been activated to provide all medical services under one roof.

Under this integrated framework, 3 to 4 ambulances remain on 24/7 alert at each clinic, while the deployment of German hospital technical staff and supervisors ensures treatment aligns with international standards.

The Director General shared these details during a media talk while inspecting the newly established central clinic.

He conducted an in-depth review of the male and female OPDs, pharmacy, dental unit, ultrasound, X-ray, and physiotherapy departments, where pilgrims expressed full satisfaction with the quality of care. Medical authorities, led by Colonel Dr. Tauqeer, Lieutenant Colonol Hamza Mansur and Lieutenant Colonel Jawad Aslam, briefed the DG that over 8,000 types of medicines have already been distributed free of charge through OPD services.

Officials further confirmed that the laboratory offers 28 types of modern diagnostic tests.