ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The first overland convoy of pilgrims from the Kurdistan Region departed in buses for Saudi Arabia on Friday to perform Hajj.

Karwan Stuni, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region’s Hajj and Umra directorate, told The New Region that the first group left from Sulaimani province's Bani Maqan earlier this morning.

“Charter flights from the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil and Sulaimani airports [to Saudi Arabia] will begin on May 19 and continue until the 28th,” Stuni said.

A total of 5,136 individuals will go on the Hajj pilgrimage from the Kurdistan Region, according to Stuni. Of this number, 1,440 pilgrims will be part of this overland journey, he explained.

The first overland convoy from Iraq embarked on the Hajj pilgrimage journey in 192 buses on Thursday, passing through the Jadidat Arar border crossing in the north of the country, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Border authorities are working to ensure the safety and comfort of pilgrims, according to the agency, citing officials.

Last year, 4,685 people from the Kurdistan Region traveled through the official government process, while over 15,000 people traveled on tourism visas to Saudi Arabia.

Thirteen pilgrims from the Kurdistan Region died while performing the Hajj pilgrimage last year. Over half of the victims did not possess official pilgrimage permits. The scorching heat emerged as the primary factor contributing to these fatalities.

Hajj is a pilgrimage to the sacred Saudi city of Mecca made by Muslims, where participants perform rituals over multiple days to cleanse their souls and strengthen their faith. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.