President Mahama has ordered the newly inaugurated Hajj Board to start preparations for the next Hajj “immediately”. He made these remarks during the swearing-in ceremony, held at the Presidency on Friday, November 14, in Accra.

Hajj is a sacred journey to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia—the annual Islamic pilgrimage that stands as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Every Muslim who is physically and financially able is required to perform it at least once in their lifetime.

To ensure smooth coordination and avoid last-minute alterations and changes, which would likely cause disruptions, President Mahama urged the Board to start preparing for the pilgrimage.

“Begin preparations immediately for the next Hajj. Announce schedules, registration processes, and cost structures promptly so that pilgrims and agents can plan effectively. Last-minute changes must become a thing of the past”.

President Mahama also charged the new board to learn from past organisational and coordination experiences to implement new and effective changes in honesty, transparency and excellent service to all pilgrims. For effective delivery of their work, he highlighted five major areas of priority that the Board is expected to pay attention to.

“But each experience has taught us valuable lessons about the importance of early planning, inter-agency coordination, and financial discipline. Today, I want this new board to build on those lessons we have learned. Let this mark the beginning of a new chapter, one where efficiency, honesty, and service define every stage of the pilgrimage process.”

Over the years, there have been reports of pilgrims being charged levies outside the official payment channels to cover their travel and related expenses. These practices have been widely criticised, as the additional fees often lacked transparency, leaving pilgrims and their families uncertain about how their money was being used.

Consequently, the president has charged this new board to reflect effective leadership by being transparent.

“The second is transparency and accountability. Pilgrims and their families must know how their money is used. All payments must pass through approved and traceable channels. No unofficial levies. No hidden charges. Transparency builds trust, and trust is the currency of leadership”.

The priority area, as mentioned by the President, is the health of pilgrims, particularly of the aged and persons with disabilities.

Fifteen lives have been lost in the last two years following their travel to the Holy Land of Mecca.

In 2024, eight pilgrims lost their lives, and their deaths were linked to an extreme heat wave, with temperatures above 41°C. Saudi authorities even directed pilgrims to remain in tents during peak heat hours to reduce exposure. Although in 2025, the death toll went down by one, five females and two males lost their lives to similar conditions of heat exceeding 48°C, which posed serious risks, especially for the elderly.

To avoid a recurrence, he told the board, to liaise with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), to give priority to the health of pilgrims, particularly the elderly, “coordinate with the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Transport, and our embassy in Riyadh to ensure safe travel, decent accommodation, adequate meals, and strong medical support. Happily, we have a doctor, a heart surgeon, on the Hajj Board this time, so I expect health issues to be managed effectively. Pay special attention to elderly pilgrims, women, and persons with disabilities. Their comfort is a sacred duty of the Hajj Board”.

He continued, “The fourth is conduct and service. Every official, from board members to volunteers, must act with courtesy, discipline, fairness, and honesty. Our pilgrims should feel respected at every point, from registration to their safe return home. The fifth is partnership and communication.

Maintain open and constant engagement with the Office of the National Chief Imam, your regional imams, travel partners and agents, and especially the Saudi authorities.

Coordination prevents crises, and communication prevents rumours”.

He also tasked the Board with developing a Hajj Mobile Application to enable pilgrims to register, verify their status, track payments, and access travel information, noting that such innovation would reduce fraud and ease congestion.

In a related development, President Mahama in May this year announced that the continuous appreciation of the local currency could reduce the fees Ghanaian Muslims pay to travel to Mecca to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

President John Dramani Mahama announced this during his Thank You Tour in Kintampo in the Bono East Region on Thursday, May 29.

According to him, pilgrims are likely to pay as low as GHC 50,000 next year, down from GHS 62,000.

“At the time we started paying for the Hajj, the Cedi was at GHC15.5 to the dollar. So, the fare we came up with for the $4,000 cost to do the Hajj came to GHC 62,000,” he explained.

“Next year, if you do a calculation with where the Cedi is currently—GHC 10.5—it means the fare for Hajj may go below GHC 50,000.”

This year’s pilgrimage recorded a massive turnout due to the Mahama-led government’s decision to reduce the Hajj pilgrimage fee to 62,000 to 75,000 Ghana cedis under the previous administration.

Approximately 6,000 Ghanaian Muslims travelled to Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025. These numbers show an increase of 2,000 Ghanaian participants as compared to 4,000 last year.

The Hajj pilgrimage begins on the 8th day of Dhul Hijjah and lasts till the 13th of the month.

A total of 42 Hajj agents have been accredited and approved to facilitate the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.

This was officially announced by the Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana (PAOG).

A statement signed by the Director of Communications at PAOG, Alhaji Mohammed Amin Lamptey, dated 22 October 2025, indicated that the approved list had been vetted and approved by the Hajj Agents Association of Ghana (HAAG) in collaboration with PAOG.

The release further warned prospective pilgrims to strictly work with these officially recognised agents to discourage fraudulent activities and inconveniences.

“The public, particularly all intending pilgrims for Hajj 2026, are strongly advised to deal only with these approved and accredited agents to avoid any inconvenience or fraudulent activities.

“PAOG remains committed to working closely with all stakeholders to ensure a smooth, transparent, and successful Hajj operation for the year 2026,” the statement read.

The full list of the 42 approved agents has been attached to the release and is available through PAOG’s official communication channels.