The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The return of Afghan pilgrims from Saudi Arabia has begun following the completion of Hajj rituals, the Taliban Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs said.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry said that around 30,000 Afghan pilgrims will be transported back to the country in two phases under an organized plan and schedule, arriving across four aviation zones.
According to the statement, in the first phase, nearly half of the pilgrims—who were initially flown directly from Afghanistan to Medina—will return from Jeddah International Airport.
The ministry added that in the second phase, the remaining pilgrims, who had traveled from Afghanistan to Mecca via Jeddah, will first be transferred to Medina to perform 40 prayers and visit holy and historical sites before returning to Afghanistan according to the schedule.
The ministry also said that in the first phase of the return process, 346 pilgrims arrived at Kabul International Airport at 9:50 a.m. local time on Monday aboard the first Kam Air flight from Jeddah.
