Karachi, May 2, 2026: Saudi Arabia has withdrawn the recently imposed 15-year age restriction for Hajj pilgrims and restored the previous policy allowing children aged 12 and above to perform the pilgrimage, the Pakistan Airports Authority said on Saturday.
According to the authority, the Saudi government reversed the policy ahead of its scheduled implementation on May 3.
The PAA said Hajj visas that had earlier been rejected under the age restriction policy would now be reprocessed following the latest decision.
The Directorate General of Hajj also confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had officially withdrawn the restriction.
Earlier, Saudi authorities had barred pilgrims under the age of 15 from entering the Kingdom for Hajj 2026, resulting in the cancellation of visas issued to underage pilgrims.
In a previous statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs had said the Saudi government instructed that no flight carrying a pilgrim below the age of 15 on May 27, 2026 — corresponding to 9th Zulhijjah 1447 and the Day of Arafat — would be allowed to enter the Kingdom.
Saudi authorities had also announced full refunds for affected pilgrims whose applications were impacted by the restriction.
Hajj flight operations from Pakistan began on April 18, with the first batch of 160 pilgrims departing from Karachi through a private airline.
Under Pakistan’s official Hajj scheme, around 119,000 pilgrims are expected to travel to Madinah and Makkah this year. According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, the government programme includes 67,230 male pilgrims and 51,846 female pilgrims.
