Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary-General Mohammed Al-Issa in Makkah, discussing Islamic and regional affairs and praising Saudi Arabia’s efforts in serving millions of pilgrims during this year’s Hajj, the organization said in a social media post on Friday.
The meeting came as Saudi Arabia concluded this year’s pilgrimage, one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings, which drew Muslims from across the globe to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
Pakistan is traditionally among the largest contributors of pilgrims to Hajj and sent around 179,000 pilgrims this year under both government and private schemes, including more than 115,000 under the official state-managed program.
“During the meeting, a number of topics related to Islamic and regional affairs were discussed,” the Muslim World League said in a post on X.
“Minister Naqvi praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts in serving pilgrims and the care and attention extended to them, while commending the MWL’s efforts in promoting Islamic awareness.”
The Muslim World League, headquartered in Makkah, is an international Islamic organization that promotes religious dialogue, humanitarian initiatives and cooperation among Muslim communities around the world.
Naqvi’s meeting with Al-Issa took place as Saudi authorities wrapped up another Hajj season that involved extensive logistical, security, health and transportation arrangements for pilgrims arriving from hundreds of destinations worldwide.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy close political, economic and religious ties, with cooperation on Hajj and Umrah arrangements remaining an important component of the bilateral relationship.