Saudi Arabia ends global 20% cut on pilgrim numbers

August 22, 2017

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The 2017 Hajj is expected to witness three hundred thousand more pilgrims, due to the reversal of the 20 percent global cut during the renovation and expansion of the grand mosque in Saudi Arabia.
The General Manager Administration, Ticketing and Reservation of Comerel Travels and Tours, Mr. Ibrahim Balogun said this at the 11^th Hajj Induction Course and award of the organisation in Abuja.
Mr. Balogun warned Nigerian pilgrims to be wary of acts that invalidate the reward from their spiritual exercise.
He urged all pilgrims to also avoid distractions in their acts of worship.

Meanwhile, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON said that it would commence the return airlift of Nigeria’s pilgrims from this year’s pilgrimage on the 7^thof September, a day after Saudi Arabia’s Authorities re-open the airports for pilgrims’ return.

The Commissioner for Operations, Mr. Abdullahi Saleh, made the announcement in Abuja after a ‘Comprehensive Review of Operations of Air Carriers.
He also confirmed that the Commission airlifted more than 46,000 intending pilgrims for this year’s Hajj.
“We have reviewed our operations and identified areas of challenges, which are being addressed. We are sure of completing the airlift of our pilgrims before the closure of the airport by Saudi Government,” Saleh said.
He said that no Nigerian pilgrim would be left behind as there was no delay on the part of any of the carriers because some intending pilgrims even came to the airport earlier than their scheduled flight.
He stated that the four approved Air Carriers would complete the transportation of their assigned intending pilgrims on or before August 26.
Saleh said that it would be on first-come-first-serve basis as those airlifted earlier would also be the first to be airlifted back to Nigeria.
He urged intending pilgrims to be patient and wait for their flight schedules, to avoid unnecessary inconveniences.