The Ghanaian Minaret

Accra- The Ghana Hajj Board has successfully facilitated the airlifting of 4,190 Ghanaian Muslims to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

The departure of the last flight from Accra on Saturday brought an end to the airlifting phase for hajj pilgrims in Ghana, where 10 flights were deployed to transport pilgrims from Tamale and Accra, respectively.

“We’re happy to report that the last and final flight has arrived safely in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims have been successfully housed and have proceeded to perform umrah.

“The arrival of the flight in Saudi Arabia brings phase 1 of Hajj 2023 to a successful end,” the Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana announced on social media.

Due to oversubscription, however, some 27 individuals were unable to book a seat on the last flight.

According to a local media report, the Board Chair, Ben Abdallah Banda, has assured the public that the board is working round the clock to have the remaining pilgrims airlifted before the start of hajj on Monday.

Over two million Muslims from around the globe will start performing their hajj rituals on Monday, June 26, 2023, in fulfilment of the fifth and last pillar of Islam.

The date coincides with the eighth day of Dhul-Hijja of the Islamic lunar calendar, which is the official start date for hajj every year.

On the first day, pilgrims, made up of men in seamless white cloth and women in dresses of different colours, will be converging in the tents of Mina before Zuhr (Noon) prayers.

They are expected to spend the rest of the day there in supplication as they observe obligatory prayers in Qasar (shortened).