The Ghana Hajj Board has announced that prospective Ghanaian pilgrims to Mecca this year will pay the same amount as last year, which is GH₵75,000 or the US Dollar equivalent of $6,250.

The Chairman of the Hajj Board, Mr. Ben Abdallah Banda, announced at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday. He stated that despite the increased cost of Hajj services in Saudi Arabia this year, the Ghana Hajj Board, after careful consideration, has decided not to increase the fees.

This decision is also partly due to the relative stability of the Cedi against the US Dollar. Mr. Banda noted that the cost of several services has gone up.

However, he added that the board has conducted stringent negotiations to ensure that these increased costs will not be borne by the pilgrims.

The Chairman also revealed that this year’s Hajj is expected to come with improved services, as facilities at Mina and other places of convergence have been upgraded.

The Board Chairman stressed that considering the number of activities involved in the Hajj processes, such as the presentation of passports to the board, issuance of visas, and the preparation of flight schedules to and fro, the deadline for the payment of the Hajj fare is mid-March 2024 pilgrims who want to travel this year are hereby encouraged to start payment from today, through their accredited agents who are scattered across the country or directly into the Hajj Board’s account.

We should be mindful of the timelines because visa issuance, which commences on the 20th of April 2024, would end on the 20th of May 2024.