The first batch of 433 Ghanaian pilgrims is scheduled to depart from Tamale to Saudi Arabia on Friday, June 9, to perform this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.
The pilgrims will be transported aboard a Flynas aircraft as part of the Ghana Hajj Board’s arrangements for the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
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More than 2,000 Ghanaian pilgrims are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia this year, with six flights scheduled to airlift them from Tamale by June 15.
Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a compulsory religious obligation that every adult Muslim who is physically and financially capable must perform at least once in their lifetime.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, a member of the Ghana Hajj Board’s Communications Team, Alhaji Salim Bamba, said all preparations had been completed for the successful transportation of the pilgrims.
He said an advance team had already made the necessary arrangements in Saudi Arabia to ensure the safety and welfare of the Ghanaian pilgrims throughout their stay.
According to him, the Board’s medical team will establish clinics at all hotels accommodating Ghanaian pilgrims to provide healthcare services and respond promptly to any medical emergencies.
Alhaji Bamba added that accommodation in Madinah, Makkah, Mina and Arafat had been carefully selected to minimise travel distances and make the pilgrimage more convenient for participants.
He also disclosed that members of the Ghana Hajj Board’s Education (Da’wah) Committee would be in Saudi Arabia to educate and guide pilgrims on the proper performance of the Hajj rites.
The first flight carrying pilgrims from Kotoka International Airport in Accra is expected to depart on June 17.
Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board, Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda, is expected to be in Tamale to bid farewell to the first group of pilgrims before their departure.
