Port Sudan, December 22, 2025 (SUNA) - Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments Bashir Haroun Abdel-Karim on Sunday approved the operational plan for the 1447 AH Hajj season and endorsed the distribution of Sudan's 15,000-pilgrim quota among the states, in accordance with the quota granted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
The approval followed the presentation of the operational plan by Acting Secretary-General of the Higher Council for Hajj and Umrah Omar Mustafa Ali during a meeting with the minister.
The minister affirmed full commitment to implementing all Hajj procedures in line with the regulatory framework and timelines set by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. He directed the immediate opening of tenders for Hajj service packages in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in accordance with the required conditions and standards, with announcements to be published in Saudi newspapers.
He also instructed close coordination with all Hajj partners, including the General Directorate of Passports, Immigration and the Civil Registry, and underscored the need to complete procedures for the private Hajj services sector, including qualifying and selecting new agencies.
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For his part, Omar Mustafa Ali provided a comprehensive briefing on the operational plan and the proposed state-level distribution of the quota. He said arrangements are in place with the General Directorate of Passports and Immigration regarding the issuance of new and expired passports, particularly for pilgrims from war-affected states.
He added that a meeting will be held with the Civil Registry to activate electronic application services through a network link with the Higher Council for Hajj and Umrah, in coordination with the National Information Center. Further meetings are planned with the Bank of Khartoum to determine the exchange rate and mechanisms for transferring service fees to the electronic track account.
Omar Mustafa Ali also announced the formation of a maritime and air transport committee to announce and evaluate tenders, with the participation of the Ministry of Finance's Purchasing and Contracting Directorate, the seaports authorities, and the Civil Aviation Authority. Tourism companies and agencies seeking to provide special Hajj services will be qualified accordingly.
He further announced that the main workshop to evaluate the 1446 AH Hajj season will be held within a week, and that the Board of Trustees of the Higher Council for Hajj and Umrah will be convened to approve policies and arrangements for the 1447 AH season, ahead of their submission to the Council of Ministers for final approval.
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