The Executive Secretary (left) and the Chairman during the press conference
The Ghana Hajj Board yesterday announced the commencement of the 2024 season for the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
During a press conference at the Hajj Village, Accra, the Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda and the Executive Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Hamza, took turns to address the media, and to field questions.
The Chairman, in a speech he read during the conference stated that, “we hereby officially announce that considering various factors, the cost of this year’s Hajj, regardless of the rising cost of services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the price remains GH₵75,000 as it was last year. However, the dollar equivalent has been reduced to $6,250.”
Last year when the cost of the package was announced, he recalled that, “we did state that we would maintain the same cost irrespective of whether the Cedi loses its value against the Dollar or not. Today we are happy to announce that we are making good our promise.”
He added, “The gaps which have obviously cropped up in costing the package will not be borne by the pilgrims.
“The price package as was the case last year,” he went on, “includes visa acquisition, a return flight from Tamale or Accra to Madina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and from Jeddah to Tamale or Accra.
“Transportation from Madina to Makkah, Makkah to Mashaa’ir (Mina and Arafat), Mashaa’ir to Makkah and to Jeddah Airport; accommodation and feeding at Madina, Makkah and Mashaai’r cumulatively for one month; 40kg luggage without charge, bags, ID Cards, Zamzam, medical care, security and Hajj guide from the Daawah team to aid in the seamless performance of Hajj rites.
“Given the timeline to Hajj such as the presentation of passports to the Board, issuance of visas and the preparation of flight schedules to and fro, the deadline for the payment of the Hajj fare is mid-March 2024.”
Intending pilgrims, he said, are encouraged to start payments from today through accredited agents who are scattered across the country or directly into the Hajj Board’s account.
Such intending pilgrims, he said, should be mindful about the timelines because, as he put it, “visa issuance which commences on April 20, 2024 would end on May 20, 2024.”
Continuing, the Chairman announced that the commencement of flights from Tamale would tentatively be May 30, 2024, and in Accra, June 8, 2024, while the return flights will begin on June 28 2024.
However, further and better particulars will be provided in due course when the flight schedules are finally firmed up.
For the purpose of performing Hajj, he said, “The Ghana Hajj Board is the only legitimate body recognised and mandated by Saudi authorities to organise and manage the affairs of Ghanaian pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Paying monies to any other person not recognised by the Ghana Hajj Board is at your peril.”
Persons who collect monies from unsuspecting potential pilgrims under the pretext of acquiring visas for them, he said, are doing so fraudulently.
Fresh security measures, he said, are going to be in place this year which would make access to principal Hajj spots such as Arafat and others impossible for those who try to perform the Hajj using non-Hajj visas.
The Ghana Hajj Board is expected to process four thousand pilgrims for this year’s Hajj, but should it be necessary to scale up the figure, he gave the assurance this would be done provided it is within the allowable timeline.
The Executive Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Hamza, supported the Chairman in fielding questions from the media.
His closing remarks centred on the various arrangements put in place to ensure a hitch-free pilgrimage this year.
Also present were members of the Ghana Hajj Agents Association.
By A.R. Gomda