2022: Saudi allocates 43,000 seats to Nigeria

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allocated no fewer than 43,000 seats to Nigeria for the 2022 Hajj operations.

This was revealed by the Executive Secretary, Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Muhammad Abba Dambatta, at a press briefing in Kano on Wednesday.

According to Dambatta, the development was informed by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON on Tuesday, although the Hajj Commission is yet to confirm the information, as at the time of filing this report.

According to him, NAHCON has also invited all heads of State Pilgrims Welfare Boards across the country for a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, adding that they are expecting to receive Hajj allocations for each state.

He noted that the quota given to Nigeria is reasonable in view of the fact that in 2019, when Saudia allocated 95,000 seats to Nigeria, only 47,000 pilgrims, both state and international, participated in the holy exercise.

Dambatta emphasized that the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board would not register any intending pilgrim until it finish with the outstanding pilgrims that paid for 2020 and 2021 Hajj, but could not go due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The Executive Secretary also disclosed that intending Pilgrims would witness increase in Hajj fare, noting that the increase is largely due to exchange rate and services.

He explained that there is an increase of 15 percent Value Added Tax, VAT in Saudia, so there is expectation that all the prices for services to be rendered for the pilgrims in the Holy Land would be increased.

“Saudia said the existing shuttle buses used should be changed completely because they have been in use for over 10 years. Now brand new buses would be used to transport pilgrims. In this regard, the price for this service will be increase.

“So also accomodation, the Saudi authorities said new houses should be used for the 2022 Hajj, so they would be increase in this regard.

“If you look at feeding, due to the increase in VAT, feeding charges will also be up. This is in addition to Coronavirus test before going to Saudia and on returning to Nigeria. All these are factors to be considered this year,” Dambatta said.