Thousands of Ghanaian pilgrims in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have begun moving from Makkah to Mina ahead of the commencement of the main rites of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.
Officials of the Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana (PAOG) said the evacuation exercise started earlier than scheduled to ensure a smooth and orderly movement of pilgrims to Mina, where they will observe the Day of Tarwiyah before proceeding to Arafat.
A member of the PAOG Advance Team, Alhaji Mahaz Ibrahim, in an exclusive interview in Makkah, expressed confidence in the arrangements put in place for the exercise.
He explained that officials had spent several weeks preparing accommodation, transport and logistics for Ghanaian pilgrims in both Madinah and Makkah.
According to him, accommodation facilities in Mina had been grouped into A, B and C categories depending on the services available to pilgrims.
Alhaji Ibrahim assured that the evacuation process would be completed smoothly despite expected congestion on routes leading to Mina.
He further commended the leadership of the Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board, Hon. Alhaji Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim, for ensuring efficient coordination of this year’s Hajj operations.
The movement to Mina officially marks the beginning of the core Hajj rituals, with pilgrims expected to proceed to Arafat for the climax of the pilgrimage.
Source: Muhammed Faisal Mustapha
