The first batch of 425 prospective Ghanaian Muslim pilgrims from the five regions of the north safely arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to perform the 2025 Hajj. These pilgrims were directly airlifted from the Yakubu Tali International Airport (TIA) in Tamale to Jeddah on Saturday, May 10. The remaining pilgrims are scheduled to depart in batches in the coming days.

A total of approximately 6000 pilgrims are expected to travel from Ghana to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. This represents an increase of 2,000 compared to the 4000 pilgrims who participated last year from northern Ghana.

The Chairman of the Interim Hajj Taskforce, Collins Dauda, along with the Northern Regional Minister, Adolf Ali John, the Minister of the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, and other government officials, visited the prospective pilgrims at the airport to bid them farewell.

Alhaji Dauda urged the pilgrims to maintain discipline and abide by the laws during their stay in Saudi Arabia to ensure the successful completion of their spiritual duties. He assured them that adequate measures had been put in place to guarantee their safety and security in the holy land. He also mentioned that arrangements had been made for daily meals for the pilgrims throughout their stay in Medina, and that standard hotels had been secured for them in Mecca.

Alhaji Muntaka wished the pilgrims a safe and peaceful journey, assuring them of the highest quality of service, as the interim Hajj taskforce had made all necessary arrangements to ensure their comfort and well-being. He implored them to use this opportunity to pray for peace and stability in the country to promote development.

The Northern Regional Minister advised the pilgrims on what they needed to do to perfect their Hajj. Several prospective pilgrims expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements made by both the Hajj agents and the Hajj committee to ensure a successful pilgrimage.