The first flights of Syrian pilgrims take off from Damascus airport
Today, Saturday, 9 May 2026, the first plane carrying Syrian pilgrims from Damascus International Airport to the Saudi city of Jeddah departed with 340 pilgrims on board.
The Director of Hajj at the Ministry of Awqaf, Mohammed Nour Araj, said: " The first flights of Syrian pilgrims from Damascus International Airport to the Holy Land to perform the Hajj rituals for the 1447 AH season were launched today as part of a series of flights that will transport pilgrims through Aleppo and Damascus airports
Araj revealed that the number of pilgrims for this season has reached 22500 pilgrims, and the trips will continue successively until May 21, 2026, and said: The pilgrims will move to their residences in Makkah and Madinah, and the number of residential towers allocated for their stay in Makkah Al-Mukarramah has reached 22 residential towers and 6 towers in Madinah.
According to the information, the number of pilgrims traveling through Damascus Airport is about 12,900 pilgrims, and through Aleppo Airport about 9,000 pilgrims, as pilgrims' flights will start from Aleppo Airport starting tomorrow, Sunday, in addition to the presence of starting points for Syrian pilgrims from different countries.
The Director of the Hajj and Umrah Department at the Ministry of Awqaf recently announced the completion of all the necessary preparations for the travel of Syrian pilgrims for this season through the airports of Damascus, Aleppo, Istanbul, Cairo, and Gaziantep.
Preparations to receive Syrian pilgrims
On Friday, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Mohsen Mahbash, met with the Director of the Syrian Hajj Mission, Ahmed Al-Haddad, at the embassy's headquarters in Riyadh, where they reviewed the arrangements for receiving Syrian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and discussed mechanisms to enhance coordination and cooperation in order to contribute to providing them with the best services during the Hajj season, according to the Syrian Embassy in Riyadh through its account on the X platform.
Mahbash and Al-Haddad also discussed the most prominent challenges and obstacles and work to overcome them, in order to ensure the smooth procedures and the smooth flow of work, and Mahbash also inspected the Syrian Pilgrims' Affairs Office in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, to see the level of readiness and executive plans related to accommodation, transportation, subsistence and organizational care services.
The tour included a visit to a number of hotels dedicated to Syrian pilgrims, where he was briefed on the readiness of rooms, reception facilities and the services provided, in addition to meeting with the heads of groups and blocs supervising the organization of the campaigns.
Mahbash continued his tour by visiting the camps of Arafat and Mina, where he inspected the camps' equipment and logistics, including air conditioning systems, catering facilities, and medical and administrative points, stressing the need to complete all preparations well before the pilgrims' arrival.
Mahbash stressed the Syrian state's keenness to follow up on the affairs of pilgrims and provide them with the best levels of care and service at various stages of performing the rituals, praising at the same time the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia in organizing the Hajj season and providing safety and services requirements for pilgrims.
On April 29, the head of the General Authority for Ports and Customs, Qutaiba Badawi, accompanied by his assistant for customs affairs, Khaled Al-Barrad, held a meeting at the authority's headquarters in Damascus with the Deputy Minister of Awqaf, Samer Bayrakdar, and the director of the Hajj, Mohammed Nour Al-Araj, to discuss mechanisms to secure the travel of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia in light of regional developments.
Nusk is the only channel for registration
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah recently confirmed that the "Nusk" platform is the only official outlet for registration, selection of packages and payment of fees, whether for pilgrims from inside or outside the Kingdom. The platform allows Muslims from minority Muslims around the world to register directly without the need for local agents.
Within the framework of improving the experience of pilgrims, the competent authorities announced the reduction of the waiting time in the timings to only 35 minutes, after developing five main timings, including Yalmalam, Al-Jahfa and Qarn Al-Manaz, in addition to enhancing health and guidance services at these sites in preparation for receiving hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.