Hajj pilgrimage to be conducted exclusively by air: KRG

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish authorities have reversed a recent decision to conduct this year’s Hajj pilgrimage from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region by land, announcing instead that all travel will take place exclusively by air, the Kurdistan Region's religious affairs ministry announced on Saturday.

“Following significant efforts by Prime Minister [Masrour Barzani], it was decided that the first group of pilgrims will depart from Erbil International Airport on May 7,” ministry spokesperson Rozhgar Jaafar told Rudaw.

Jaffar added that significant de-escalation in the regional conflict was a key factor behind reversing the decision.

A second group is scheduled to leave from Sulaimani’s Jalal Talabani International Airport the following day.

“All flights will be operated by Iraqi Airways, and according to the schedule, pilgrims will be transported to Saudi Arabia,” Jaafar added.

In mid-April, the ministry had announced that Hajj travel from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region would be conducted exclusively by land, citing “public interest.”

According to Karwani Stuni, head of the Kurdistan Region’s Hajj and Umrah Office, a total of 5,120 pilgrims from the region are expected to perform Hajj this year. He added that visas have been issued to all pilgrims and that most logistical preparations have been completed.

Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is a mandatory act of worship for Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake the journey.

The annual pilgrimage takes place from the 8th to the 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar - corresponding to late May 2026 - and requires pilgrims to arrive in advance to prepare for the physically and spiritually demanding rituals in Mecca.