Govt announces date for mandatory Hajj training 2026

ISLAMABAD: The Minister of Religious Affairs has announced that from next year, Hajj performers must participate in a compulsory training course.

This decision resulted from the meeting of the Nisab Committee for Hajj Training, which was held in Islamabad. The ministry stated that attending this one-day Hajj training session was mandatory for all pilgrims and that they must all turn up according to the formal schedule.

According to the ministry, the training schedules will be shared via the Pak-Hajj 2025 mobile application, as well as the official website, via a short message. The main objective of the training is to ensure the pilgrims are well-informed about the Hajj rituals.

The officials announced that experienced personnel from the Haji camps, master trainers, and Islamic scholars would be holding the sessions through multimedia presentations.

However, the ministry confirmed that there are new medical eligibility criteria for the Hajj of 2026, as per the guidelines by the Saudi Ministry of Health.

The government has banned all sick pilgrims, including ones with renal failures, those requiring dialysis, and cases of lung, liver, and cancerous ailments.

Pilgrims suffering from severe disorders of the nervous or psychiatric system, loss of memory, illnesses, pregnancy, and patients with tuberculosis, pertussis, or viral hemorrhagic fevers will also not be able to perform the Hajj.

The ministry warned of deporting medically unfit pilgrims from Saudi Arabia at their own cost. It has taken up legal action against doctors for issuing wrong medical fitness certificates.

Medical officers may prevent unsuitably qualified pilgrims from traveling, and Saudi Monitoring Teams will check medical documents.