ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs said on Tuesday it had received accreditation applications from more than 100 private Hajj operators seeking to offer services to pilgrims in 2027, after the deadline for submissions expired a day earlier.

A total of 179,210 pilgrims will perform Hajj from Pakistan next year, with 71,684 slots reserved for the private scheme.

While 25 operators are already approved to provide Hajj services, the ministry is inviting more companies to facilitate pilgrims under the private scheme.

"So far over 100 companies have applied for accreditation through prescribed procedure," the ministry's spokesperson, Umar Butt, told Arab News. "Each company is required to have a minimum capacity of handling 3,000 pilgrims in their Hajj journey."

Butt said the government wanted to streamline private Hajj operations by working with fewer but financially stronger companies. Previously, there were hundreds of small Hajj Group Operators that sometimes failed to maintain the required service standards.

"The Ministry has formed a committee for the scrutiny of these applications and the committee will shortlist the companies," he added.

Pilgrims seeking to perform Hajj under the private scheme will be able to apply through the government's online portal or app.

The ministry has based its financial requirements for each operator on a minimum capacity of 3,000 pilgrims and an estimated cost of Rs1 million ($3,600) per pilgrim, giving each company an indicative business volume of Rs3 billion ($10.7 million).

Companies applying for accreditation must meet minimum capital and financial guarantee requirements based on that amount.

The required paid-up capital must be at least Rs300 million ($1.1 million), equivalent to 10 percent of the total indicative business volume.

Authorized capital must be at least Rs600 million ($2.1 million), representing 20 percent of the total indicative business volume.

Applicants must also provide a performance or bank guarantee of at least Rs150 million ($536,000), equivalent to five percent of the total indicative business volume, as well as comprehensive financial documentation.

This includes certificates showing paid-up and authorized capital that are no older than six months, audited financial statements where applicable, and official proof of banking relationships and credit facilities.