Saudi travel & hospitality consortium establishes $50m fund to support and strengthen Pakistan’s Umrah & Hajj travel sector

Makkah Al-Mukarramah: A leading Saudi Arabian Travel & Hospitality consortium — including Funadiq.com, Emaar Al Diyafa Group, Skyline Travel Company, and others based in Makkah Al-Mukarramah — has established a $50 million USD fund to support the struggling Umrah and Hajj travel sector in Pakistan.

The initiative aims to modernize local travel agencies, strengthen airline partnerships, and improve the overall pilgrimage experience for Pakistani pilgrims. A key objective is to institutionalize the sector by upgrading the infrastructure and operations of travel agencies in every major city across the country.

Salman Arain, CEO of Umrah Companions and a lead member of the consortium, commented: “Pakistan is one of the largest contributors to global pilgrimage travel. Each year, over 2 million Pakistani pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia, spending more than $5 billion USD — representing over 20% of the total global pilgrimage traffic. Yet despite these numbers, the sector continues to suffer from poor management. More than 67,000 pilgrims missed Hajj this year alone. And now, with the introduction of the H1447 Umrah policy, travel agents across Pakistan are struggling to operate, and Umrah packages are becoming unnecessarily expensive. We are stepping in to help change that — working closely with the government, airlines, and private sector partners.”

The consortium also includes Companions AI, which recently launched the world’s first AI-powered Umrah Agent, Ibraheem. The tool helps tech-savvy pilgrims make smarter decisions, find better prices, and receive personalized guidance throughout their spiritual journey.

The fund will be used to invest in technology, training, and system upgrades for small- and medium-sized travel agencies — with the goal of building a more transparent, efficient, and pilgrim-focused ecosystem.