The first group of 433 Hajj pilgrims, who were flown directly from Tamale International Airport to Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s Hajj, have safely returned.
At 4:45 a.m. Monday, the Saudi Commercial Airline’s Jumbo Jet Airbus 33-900 touched down at Tamale International Airport (TIA).
Family members thronged the Tamale International Airport (TIA) to greet their loved ones with joy and sung Allah’s praises to them.
There were greeted with fanfare, amid loud shouts of “Allahu Akbar”, meaning “Allah is great”.
To welcome back the Haj pilgrims, family members dressed in white to symbolize happiness.
This year, around 2,000 prospective pilgrims were airlifted from Tamale International Airport to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to perform Islamic spiritual duties.
In a press conference following the arrival of the Haj pilgrims, the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Alhassan Shani Shaibu, praised the pilgrims for their good behavior while in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He claimed that wherever Ghanaian Muslims found themselves, they were always of good character.
“I’m impressed about the reports I received whilst you were staying in the holy land for the spiritual activities,” Alhaji Shaibu added.
He advised every Muslim living outside the borders of our country to be of good character at all times.
He also praised the local organisers of the Haj Board in Tamale for their efforts and asked them to keep up the good job.
The Minister, on the other hand, thanked Allah for their safe arrival and praised the Haj Board and pilgrims for their good behavior throughout the spiritual activities in the holy land.