Home FAITH Hajj Commission Boss Announces July 24 For 2017 Pilgrims’ Airlift

Hajj Commission Boss Announces July 24 For 2017 Pilgrims’ Airlift

Abdullahi Mukhtar

Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Barrister Abdullahi Mukhtar Mohammed has announced that the airlift of intending Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the commencement of the 2017 Hajj comes up on July 24.

Mukhtar, who spoke at an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, said that the Jeddah International Airport would be closed for Hajj operations on August 26.

“The airlift will commence on 24 July and the closure of Jeddah airport is August 26. The return of Nigerian pilgrims will commence on September 6 and the last flight will be on October 8.”

Mukhtar said that 133 licensed operators have been approved by the commission for the Hajj operations and that accommodation arrangement has been completed.

He said that Nigerian pilgrims will now pay about $110 less than what they paid last year. “Nigeria can now compete with any nation of the world in terms of accommodation, particularly in Madina.”

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The NAHCON boss said that out of the 95,000 Hajj slots for Nigeria, 75,000 would go to states, while 20,000 would be allocated to others.

On Hajj fare, Mukhtar announced that for the first time, there would not be uniform fare and that it would be determined by states, depending on the services to be rendered due to new arrangements for this year’s Hajj.

The deputy chairman of the committee, Abdullahi Ibrahim (APC, Jigawa), who presided over the session thanked the commission for the details given on the 2017 Hajj operations. [myad]