The Chairman of the board, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, attributed this to the introduction of an effective communication system that ensured that all flights to Saudi Arabia departed on schedule without hitches.
 
According to him, the system was introduced to prevent the struggle pilgrims often had to go through in locating their passports and other documents, enable them know their flight schedules and also help the pilgrims to cut down cost of spending longer days at the Hajj Village in Accra.

Event
Addressing the press before the take off of the last scheduled flight from the Kotoka International Airport in Accra yesterday, the chairman said the introduction of an Information Communication Technology  (ICT) component for communication and capturing of data facilitated the processing and verification of all pilgrims.  

“Pilgrims were sent SMS messages informing them of their flight schedules. They arrived on the day of their departure and were checked-in professionally in accordance with international airport customs standards. This eradicated the pain pilgrims usually go through to perform hajj,” he added.

Sheikh Quaye said the utilisation of ICT in the board’s operations unit in Saudi Arabia also included healthcare provision, allocation of hotel accommodation and transportation of pilgrims to and from various cities of interest.

“The creation of a communication system has also allowed mass communication and receipt of feedback from pilgrims within the camping sites,” he added.

Caution
The chairman said the pilgrims were also educated and cautioned against the smuggling of contraband goods, particularly cola, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“It is categorised as a controlled drug and attracts criminal prosecution in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

According Sheikh Quaye, Ghana was declared the best among non-Arab countries for last year’s Hajj and stressed that “the Ghana Hajj Board would like to maintain that record.”

Recall
The first batch of 429 Muslim pilgrims from the Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper West and Upper East regions were airlifted directly from the Tamale International Airport (TIA) to Jedda by a Saudi airline, Flynas Boeing 747-400.

About 2,802 pilgrims  went directly from the Tamale Airport in six batches from Wednesday, July 24, to Sunday, July 28, 2019, while the rest of the pilgrims in the southern sector were airlifted from the Kotoka International Airport.

A total of 6,000 pilgrims have successfully been flown from Ghana to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj rituals.  

Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to the Holy city of Mecca where Muslims perform various rituals as part of an Islamic obligation.

It is the fifth pillar of Islam, which enjoins every Muslim who can afford, and is physically fit, to embark on the pilgrimage, at least once in their lifetime.

Each year, millions of Muslims from all parts of the world converge on Saudi Arabia to praise Allah, express appreciation to Him for His mercies and also seek blessings and forgiveness for their trespasses as part of the rituals.