First Group of Moroccan Pilgrims Arrives in Medina for Hajj 2024

Rabat – The first group of Moroccan pilgrims arrived in Medina on Friday morning to perform the Hajj rituals for the year 1445 AH, which corresponds to the year 2024 in the Islamic calendar.

In a statement to the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP), Abdellatif Hakki, deputy head of Morocco’s pilgrim affairs office, pointed out that six flights arrived yesterday and today from the cities of Rabat, Oujda, and Agadir at Medina’s Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, with 1,380 pilgrims onboard.

Hakki added that the Saudi authorities are constantly monitoring the preparations and the operational plan for receiving pilgrims who have come to perform the Hajj ritual. He also praised the facilities granted by the Saudi authorities to Moroccan pilgrims and pilgrims in general.

He told MAP that the transfer of Moroccan pilgrims to their places of residence had gone smoothly, adding that they are currently being accommodated in the north-central area surrounding the Haram, where they would be staying before they depart for Mecca.

Before the first group’s departure, the Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, read out the message addressed by King Mohammed VI to the Moroccan pilgrims.

In this message, Moroccan pilgrims were called on to represent their country properly during the Hajj season and to correctly embody quintessential Islamic values such as brotherhood, active solidarity, and tolerance.

“Therefore, I want you to be ambassadors for your country, reflecting that glorious image of your nation. Keep in mind that it is these immutable national values that have given our country the security and stability it is enjoying; it is thanks to them that our nation is continuing its victorious march under my leadership, to achieve further progress and prosperity,” the monarch emphasized in his message.

Toufiq indicated that 34,000 Moroccan pilgrims will participate in this year’s Hajj; of these, 22,500 will be under the supervision of the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs. On the other hand, he added, independent travel agencies will be supervising 11,500 pilgrims.

Toufiq also added that 78 flights departing from Morocco are scheduled as part of this year’s pilgrimage, with the last outbound flight due to take place on June 10, while return flights will start on June 20 and end on July 8.

A total of 738 administrators, ulemas, doctors, and media professionals, including 520 supervisors, will be guiding the pilgrims.

The pilgrim’s supervisors have been selected according to the quota allocated to each commune. According to the minister, there will be one supervisor for every 47 pilgrims.

The Minister also pointed out that 53 of the scheduled flights will go directly to Medina, exempting 15,100 pilgrims that travel by road.

An efficient facility curated for Hajj pilgrims includes the new “Road to Mecca” approach. This initiative allows pilgrims to seamlessly complete all the procedures from their home country, from the issuance of the electronic visa to the completion of entry procedures into Saudi Arabia.

This operation is believed to benefit approximately 12,000 pilgrims.

Statistics from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on the movement of pilgrims to and from Medina revealed that the number of pilgrims arriving in Medina up to Monday reached 300,000 pilgrims of several nationalities.

Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is a religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime.