According to the Federal Government of Somalia’s Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, the first group of 587 Somali Pilgrims left on Saturday for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to undertake Hajj 2023. The Ministry states that  422 passengers departed Mogadishu and 165 others left
Hargeysa this morning, with other aircraft likely to depart to either Jeddah or Mecca in the coming days. Hajj is one of the world’s largest annual mass meetings, and this year’s pilgrimage is scheduled to take place between June 26 and July 1. This event has traditionally been associated
with specific public health dangers due to the large number of people who are generally in extremely close proximity. Every year, around two million Muslims from over 183 countries perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The vast majority of overseas pilgrims fly into Jeddah or Medina and then take a bus to Mecca. Pilgrims walk or take a bus five miles (8 kilometers) to Mina, the world’s biggest temporary city, where most stay in air-conditioned tents
The cost of the Hajj pilgrimage will be significantly lower this year than it was last year, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Somalia.
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre announced that this year’s fees would be $4,484, a drop from the $5,500 to $6,000 that Somalis paid in previous
The high cost in previous years has been a hindrance for those who wished to perform Hajj . The Prime Minister criticized Hajj companies for charging astronomical fees fees and stated that government authorities should not set up illegal impediments in order to obtain money from
those who have sold their farms, homes, or businesses in order to perform Hajj. These illegal barriers, known locally as “isbaaro,” are a form of extortion in which officials use their positions to take money or resources from locals through bribes.
