The National Information Technology Board has assumed full operational control of the digitalization of Pakistan’s Hajj operations, in alignment with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Digital Pakistan vision. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have resolved to establish a historic, world-class digital corridor that will facilitate the real-time sharing of pilgrims’ data with Saudi Arabia’s central Hajj systems, including the Nusuk and Mashaer platforms, with the initiative aiming to optimise Pakistan’s Hajj operations through cutting-edge technology while offering unprecedented convenience to pilgrims. The announcement was confirmed from Makkah by Muhammad Awais, Programme Manager at the National Information Technology Board, who stated that an National Information Technology Board team is currently stationed in Saudi Arabia as observers ahead of the full operational rollout.
The digital corridor will simultaneously forge a connected domestic network among key stakeholders including the National Database and Registration Authority, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, designated banks, and airlines, creating an end-to-end digital infrastructure that spans both the Pakistan-side preparation process and the on-ground operations in Saudi Arabia. The project is being executed under the guidance of Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Secretary IT Zarrar Hasham Khan, under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer of the National Information Technology Board Faisal Iqbal Rattiyal.
As part of this digital transformation, a comprehensive monitoring framework named the Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj Performance Management System has been made operational, comprising advanced mobile applications and centralised dashboards that enable live tracking of Hajj welfare staff, seasonal duty staff, and local assistants operating across Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah, and Madinah Airport, with the system also featuring a mechanism to gather instant feedback directly from pilgrims. The performance management system addresses a longstanding gap in how Pakistan’s Hajj mission monitors the quality and responsiveness of its welfare operations on the ground, bringing real-time visibility to a function that has previously relied on manual reporting and after-the-fact assessments.
In accordance with the Federal Cabinet-approved Hajj Policy and the Prime Minister’s project guidelines, technical assessments and capacity-building measures will be streamlined during Hajj 2026, paving the way for a complete transition of both government and private Hajj schemes to the centralised digital module by Hajj 2027. To ensure the execution of this long-term strategy, a formal five-year strategic agreement has been signed by Mohammad Bakhsh Sangi, Joint Secretary Hajj at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and Dr. Khalid Rafique, Director General of the National Information Technology Board. The five-year agreement gives the digitalization initiative the institutional durability it needs to survive administrative changes and deliver on its full potential, with the target of bringing every Pakistani pilgrim under a unified digital system within the next two Hajj seasons representing one of the most ambitious e-governance undertakings in Pakistan’s recent history.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
