Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq outlined on Monday the country’s measures seeking to ensure the success of Moroccans’ Hajj pilgrimage journey.
During a session at parliament, the minister responded to MPs questions about the government measures accompanying Moroccans performing Hajj this year.
He said that 18,119 out of the 22,500 pilgrims from the official organization arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj to date.
He added that 12,040 pilgrims arrived in Mecca, while 6,079 others reached Media.
The last direct flight to Mecca flew on Monday, he said.
Outlining Morocco’s measures to improve Hajj preparation campaign, Toufiq announced that there has been a new restructuring of the health delegation accompanying Moroccan pilgrims this year.
He also mentioned the development of the “Hajj journey,” an electronic program that allows tracking of all the phases the pilgrims take from the starting point.
In addition to this, the government has implemented another program that defines the main themes to be addressed during meetings on religious or administrative campaigns.
Toufiq also pledged the improvement of services provided to pilgrims, including the quality of food, by adopting digital control measures to ensure that all pilgrims benefit from food distributions.
The minister also cited the implementation of a mechanism to control the tents provided to pilgrims.
The cost for performing Hajj was set at MAD 66,865 ($6,720) this year, marking an increase compared to the previous Hajj seasons.
Last year, the Moroccan Ministry announced an $312 increase to Hajj cost this year, saying that this increase would mainly cover airfare, some services, and taxes, excluding any potential changes to basic service rates on the Saudi side.
The quota for Moroccan pilgrims participating in the Hajj rituals this year is set at 34,000 individuals, comprising 22,500 pilgrims organized by the ministry and 11,500 others traveling through travel agencies.
