A group of Pakistani bikers comprising 25 pilgrims are on their way to Saudi Arabia via road to perform Umrah pilgrimage.
Bikers decided to embark on the journey after the Saudi government relaxed the rules for Umrah pilgrims in 2022, extending the period of visas for foreign pilgrims to three months and allowing them to use travel permits to cities other than Makkah only.
The group left for Saudi Arabia from Lahore on January 6 and will travel more than 14,000 kilometers to reach Islam’s holiest city.
Punjab Tourism Development Corporation (TDCP) officials along with Iranian Khan Farh saw off the group of bikers at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium.
During the 60-day round trip, the group will pass through Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait, finally arriving in Saudi Arabia where the drivers will spend 19 days.
Biker Mukaram Tareen is leading the convoy, who is also the chairman of the Cross Route Club that organized the trip.
“We reached Sharjah, UAE, on Sunday, January 15, and after spending a week in different Emirates including Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, we will enter Saudi Arabia on January 22 via the Al Bataha border,” Tareen told Arab News in a telephone interview from Sharjah.
As per media reports, they are travelling with the aim of promoting peace, brotherhood and friendship. For this mission, they did extensive research before embarking on this journey.
