The Ghanaian Minaret

Accra: The Ghana Hajj Board, a body mandated by the government to organise and manage Hajj affairs in Ghana, has announced the 2024 Hajj fare to be GH₵75,000 or an equivalent of $6,250.

The fare consists of visa acquisition, a return flight from Accra/Tamale to Madina and from Jeddah to Accra/Tamale, and transportation costs from Madina to Makkah to Mashaa’ir (Mina and Arafat), Mashaa’ir to Makkah, and to Jeddah Airport.

It also includes one-month accommodation and feeding at Madina, Makkah, and Mashaa’ir cumulatively for a one-month period; 40 kg of luggage without charge; procurement of bags; identification cards; Zamzam; medical care; security services; and Hajj guides.

The Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board, Ben Abdallah Banda, announced the fare at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday.

He said the decision to maintain the fare was to make good on a promise made last year by the board to insulate the hajj fare against fluctuations in the foreign exchange rate.

“Today we are happy to announce that we are making good on our promise. The gaps that have obviously cropped up in costing the package will not be borne by the pilgrims,” he said.

He noted that the deadline for hajj payment was mid-March and, as such, urged prospective pilgrims to start making payments to accredited hajj agents dotted across the country.

“Paying monies to any other person not recognised by the Ghana Hajj Board is at your own peril.

“We should be mindful of the timelines because visa issuance, which commences on April 20, 2024, will end on May 20, 2024,” he said.

He cautioned Ghanaian Muslims against embarking on Hajj with tourist visas, as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the Ghanaian Authority, is working to weed out such persons.

“Stringent measures, unlike previous ones, are going to be rolled out by the Saudi authorities to prevent such persons from abusing their status as tourists and not pilgrims,” he said.