Kazakh pilgrims have started arriving in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj

Jeddah, June 4, 2024 – Another group of 290 Kazakh pilgrims arrived to the Jeddah International Airport (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). They were met by the diplomats of the Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Jeddah, headed by the Consul General Ruslan Kospanov. The first group of Kazakhstanis arrived to Medina on June 3.

According to the quota allocated by the Government of Saudi Arabia for Kazakhstan in 2024, it is expected that in the period from June 3 to 28, more than
5 thousand Kazakhstani citizens will visit the holy places of Kingdom. The performing of the main rites of the Hajj falls on the period of June 14-19, this year.

Transportation of pilgrims of Kazakhstan in the current season of Hajj is carried out by «AirAstana» (Kazakhstan), «SCAT» (Kazakhstan), «Turkish Airlines» (Turkey), «Jazeera Airways» (Kuwait) and Saudi «FlyNas» avia companies. The airliners of these companies will deliver our citizens to the cities of the Kingdom - Jeddah and Medina from Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Turkestan and Aktau in the period of June 3-10 and will take them back in the period of June 20-28, this year.

During the pilgrimage period, the Consulate General operates in a special regime. Arrival and departure of pilgrims from Kazakhstan are held according to the duty schedule of diplomats with the participation of representatives of the Kazakhstani hajj mission, formed by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (SAMK).

The task of the Consulate General includes issues of coordination and interaction with local authorities during the stay of Kazakh citizens in the Kingdom, as well as ensuring their safety and timely return to their homeland. For this purpose, contacts have been established with the government and aviation authorities of Saudi Arabia responsible for the Hajj 2024 season, as well as with the Hajj mission of Kazakhstan.

In general, the Consulate General conducts explanatory work among pilgrims on compliance with the legislation of the host country, sanitary and hygienic standards in order to avoid various infectious diseases (flu, meningitis), as well as respect for local traditions and manners, etc.

At the central headquarters in the cities of Makkah and Medina, will be stationary points organized by the SAMK, where Kazakh doctors, along with local medical institutions, provide necessary medical care to our pilgrims around the clock if they apply.

According to the Saudi authorities, it is expected that this year the number of pilgrims who have performed the Hajj may reach about 2.3-2.5 million people (according to the data of the KSA General Agency for Statistics, in 2023 the number of pilgrims amounted to 1 million 845 thousand people).