Accra: The Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana under the leadership of the Ghana Hajj Board is set to commence the airlifting of about 5,000 Ghanaian Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on Friday, May 1, 2026.

About 18 flights have been earmarked for the exercise, which will begin in Tamale, the capital of the Northern region, and later Accra, the capital city.

The Ambassador of Ghana to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Said Sinare, made this known in a phone interview with a local radio station monitored by the Ghanaian Minaret on Wednesday.

“We have marshalled all staff of the embassy, and everybody is on standby ready to work and receive all the pilgrims,” he said on Wednesday.

The ambassador sternly warned Hajj pilgrims against carrying contraband items into the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He said the authorities have deployed advance technologies for screening pilgrims and would not spare any recalcitrant pilgrim trying to smuggle illicit substances into the country.

Alhaji Sinare urged them to also abide by the fiscal rules on possessing cash to avert money laundering issues.

“A pilgrim cannot carry an amount of more than $10,000 to hajj,” he warned.

He further cautioned against embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage through unapproved routes, as that could lead to imprisonment and fines for flouting Hajj regulations.

Ghana will be sending an advance team to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Friday, April 24, 2026, in anticipation of the arrival of Ghana’s Hajj pilgrims.

The team will be in Madinah, where flights will arrive, and Makkah, where most Hajj rituals will occur.