Taliban Plans to Transport Hajj Pilgrims Via Domestic Airlines
In its ongoing efforts to control and engineer the Hajj pilgrimage process, the Taliban administration is planning to transport Afghan pilgrims to Saudi Arabia using domestic airlines. Sheikh Noor Mohammad Saqib, acting head of the Taliban’s Ministry of Guidance, Hajj and Endowments, met with executives from Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air to coordinate the logistics.
During the meeting, Sheikh Saqib expressed satisfaction with what he described as “independent service to the Afghan nation through domestic institutions.” He claimed that over the past four years, the Taliban administration has been able to send Afghan pilgrims to Saudi Arabia without the need for assistance from foreign countries. He presented this as a sign of internal capabilities under Taliban rule, without addressing structural challenges, rising costs, or the absence of international oversight.
Saqib stated that the ministry intends to take “practical and significant steps” for next year’s Hajj, highlighting efforts to ensure what it calls a “safe, reliable, and orderly” pilgrimage. However, concerns remain about the lack of transparency and the absence of international guarantees in the process.
Executives from Ariana and Kam Air, for their part, thanked the Taliban administration for its support and pledged to provide “comprehensive services” for transporting pilgrims. Yet, key questions remain about how the quality of services, passenger safety, and actual flight costs will be monitored and ensured.
Many Afghans have raised complaints about monopolistic practices and lack of transparency in processes such as Hajj registration. The Taliban, however, insists it is delivering independent and local services—a stance critics argue has led to greater isolation of formal institutions rather than genuine development of domestic capacity.
