Pakistan's President arrives in Jeddah to perform Hajj

Arif Alvi will partake in annual pilgramge with family and staff

Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi arrives in Jeddah ahead of Hajj. SPA

Read the latest updates on the Hajj pilgrimage here

Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi arrived in Jeddah on Sunday ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage.

He was received at King Abdulaziz International Airport by the deputy governor of the Makkah region Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz.

Wearing an ihram, Mr Alvi was accompanied by members of his family and staff, who will perform Hajj alongside him, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Hajj officials welcomed pilgrims at the airport with gifts including prayer mats, curated by the Royal Institute for Traditional Arts in partnership with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

The gifts embody Saudi traditional art designs and were also presented to pilgrims at the Haramain High-Speed Railway station.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Sunday issued a directive to host 2,000 family members of Yemeni forces and those killed in Operation Decisive Storm for Hajj this year.

As part of the Guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Programme, Saudi Arabia is hosting 1,300 pilgrims from over 90 countries for Hajj.

This year, Hajj will return to pre-pandemic numbers as the kingdom removes all Covid-19 restrictions.

Last year's pilgrimage, the first largely without Covid-19 restrictions in two years, attracted almost a million domestic and foreign pilgrims.