Saudi Arabia slashed Nigeria’s Hajj slots

Saudi Arabian authorities have announced plans to reduce the number of external pilgrims by 20 percent and those from within the Kingdom by 50 percent in the coming hajj season.

Relevant Saudi departments, according to a news report published in the Saudi Gazette, are currently working out modalities for the implementation of directives by the authorities to that effect.

The reduction in the number of local and foreign pilgrims, it was gathered, was necessitated by “the giant development projects currently being undertaken” in the Grand Mosque and other holy sites in the Kingdom.

In a statement yesterday, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) confirmed that the Saudi authorities have slashed Nigeria’s hajj seats from 95,000 to 76,000.

Spokesman of the commission Alhaji Uba Mana said the reduction does not affect Nigeria alone as it is a worldwide issue. He confirmed that Saudi authorities have slashed the total number of pilgrims from all over the world for this year’s hajj by 20 percent.

The Saudi authorities, in a letter sent to the commission, said the measures being taken were due to the ongoing construction works at the Holy Mosque in Mecca, which may not be completed before the 2013 hajj season.

The commission called on states pilgrims’ welfare boards, hajj agencies and other stakeholders to affect the changes as it was made to provide comfort to the pilgrims from all over the world.

“The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) wishes to notify all states pilgrims welfare boards, agencies and other stakeholders that the commission has received a notice from Saudi Arabia on the 20% global reductions in hajj seat allocations for 2013 hajj exercise affecting all countries”, NAHCON spokesman Alhaji Mana said.

The statement also quoted Saudi Minister of Hajj Affairs Dr Bandar Bin-Muhammad al-Hajjar as explaining that the usual capacity of Haram is the maximum of 48,000, but as the expansion projects commenced the number was reduced to 20,000 representing 22 percent.

Consequently, the commission said the 95, 000 seats allocated to Nigeria has now scaled down to 76,000 pilgrims.
 
But sources close to the Nigerian tour operators said the cut in the number of pilgrims will begin this Ramadan as more than half the number of intending pilgrims from Nigeria may not secure Umrah visa.