Hajj 2023: First Batch of Nigerian Pilgrims Arrive Saudi Arabia
The first batch of Nigerian pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj exercise have arrived the Prince Muhammad Ibn Abdu-Azeez Airport in Madina, Saudi Arabia.
The Max Air flight carrying 472 pilgrims from Nasarawa State and 27 officials landed at about 3:20am local time.
The Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Yahya Lawal, the Consul General, the Madina coordinator and other officials were at the airport to receive them.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the officials of Nigerian Embassy in the Kingdom gave the pilgrims a ceremonial reception at the airport.
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In his welcome address, Ambassador Lawal thanked Allah for their safe trip and urged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria at all times especially now that they are in a state of performing one of the pillars of Islam. He also called on them to pray for the progress and unity of Nigeria.
The pilgrims were then conveyed to their hotel accommodation where they were given another warm welcome by the hotel managers.
On their part, the pilgrims thanked Allah (SWT) for making it a reality for them and also expressed gratitude to the officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The Max Air flight VM3001 carrying 472 pilgrims from Nasarawa state took from Abuja at about 18:24 Nigerian time and arrived Madina at about 1:20 am (3:20 am Saudi time).
PRNIGERIA reports that flights from Abuja or anywhere in Nigeria to Madina used to take about four and a half hours through Chad Republic and Sudan before crossing the Red Sea to get to Saudi Arabia.
The closure of the Sudanese airspace due to the ongoing crisis however forced the flight to take another route which is longer, and this routine will be repeated by all other flights going to Saudi Arabia from Nigeria for this year’s Hajj.
