ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Farooq, on Friday urged Pakistani Hajj pilgrims to demonstrate discipline during their stay in Saudi Arabia and thanked the Kingdom for ensuring “best” arrangements for the devotees, the Pakistani religious affairs ministry said.
The statement came amid Pakistan’s ongoing pre-Hajj flight operation to ferry pilgrims to the Kingdom for the annual pilgrimage. Several Hajj flights left Pakistan for the Kingdom on Thursday.
Ambassador Farooq and Pakistan’s Hajj Director-General Abdul Wahab Soomro warmly welcomed the Pakistani pilgrims upon arrival in the holy city of Madinah.
“Pilgrims should demonstrate best discipline to increase the prestige of the country,” the Pakistani religious affairs ministry quoted the ambassador as saying.
“We are grateful to the Saudi government for making the best arrangements for Hajj pilgrims.”
Soomro said the pre-Hajj flight operation was ongoing successfully and feedback about different facilities would be sought from pilgrims through the Pak Hajj app.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime, if they are financially and physically able.
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, according to the Pakistani religious affairs ministry. Of them, 63,805 pilgrims will be performing the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest would be accommodated by private tour operators.
This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19.

KARACHI: Alraedah Digital Solutions, a leading Saudi technology company, announced on Thursday it was entering into a strategic partnership with Pakistani fintech ABHI to launch “innovative” financial services in the Kingdom. 
Alraedah Digital Solutions, the digital arm of Alraedah Digital Group, focuses on innovation and digital transformation to empower businesses and individuals through cutting-edge solutions in finance and technology. 
ABHI is a Pakistani fintech company that provides innovative finance solutions to businesses and their employees. Last year, it was selected as one of the Future 100 companies of the United Arab Emirates. 
Founded in 2021, ABHI has been serving customers in Pakistan, UAE, and Bangladesh through its credit-bridging products. These include Earned Wage Access, Invoice Factoring, SME Working Capital & Revenue Based Financing, and Payroll Solutions. 
“Under the terms of the agreement, Alraedah will leverage ABHI’s robust capabilities to launch a set of innovative financial services in KSA,” the Saudi company said in a press release. 
The statement said as per the terms of the agreement, ABHI will gain access to Alraedah’s knowledge and understanding of the local Saudi market. This would enable it to collaboratively launch innovative financing products in Saudi Arabia.
“Alraedah will enable access to $200 million over the course of three years to develop products that apply ABHI’s proprietary technology, localized for the Saudi market,” the press release said. 
The Pakistani fintech says it has a client base of over 1,000 esteemed companies and actively promotes financial empowerment and provides stability to over 750,000 employees across the region.
“With our innovative financial solutions and Alraedah’s deep local expertise, we are poised to empower Saudi citizens, embolden the private sector, and foster a more vibrant, thriving economy,” Omair Ansari, co-founder and CEO of ABHI, was quoted as saying. 
Paul Melotto, CEO of Alraedah Digital Solutions, said both companies aim to redefine access to financial services and empower individuals and businesses across the region.
“Together, we aim to redefine access to financial services and empower individuals and businesses across the region,” he said.