A resident of مکہ مکرمہ may perform proxy حج on behalf of another person, and this is the position of the majority of scholars. The validity of proxy حج depends on the conditions of the proxy — being Muslim, sane, mature, and having completed their own واجب حج — not on their geographical location. The person on whose behalf حج is performed receives the full reward regardless of where the proxy begins.
Sheikh Ibn Baz stated that proxy حج performed by a مکہ مکرمہ resident is valid and fulfills the obligation. He did not require the proxy to be from a specific location. He noted that in practical terms, many families hire proxies from مکہ مکرمہ or nearby cities due to convenience and lower cost, and this is acceptable as long as the proxy meets all the conditions.
The Hanbali school, however, has a preference (not a strict requirement) that the proxy should be from the same country or region as the person on whose behalf حج is performed. The reasoning is that the full journey — with its hardship, travel expenses, and spiritual preparation — is part of the حج experience, and ideally the proxy should replicate the complete journey. Ibn Qudamah mentioned this preference in Al-Mughni but acknowledged that a proxy from any location is valid. Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen considered this preference to be a recommendation, not a condition for validity.