First Somali Hajj pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia as 2026 journey begins

Saturday May 2, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somali pilgrims have begun their journey to the holy sites as the first Hajj flights from Mogadishu and Hargeisa touched down in Saudi Arabia, signaling the opening of this year’s pilgrimage season for nationals from the Horn of Africa.

According to Somali officials, the initial flights arrived Friday at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport with 432 pilgrims on board.

Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs Mukhtar Robow Ali oversaw the launch ceremony in Mogadishu, casting the operation as a large-scale national undertaking that required careful coordination.

He said the government had overcome long-running administrative hurdles that once made the Hajj process difficult, adding that travel, lodging and paperwork are now proceeding smoothly under the approved plan.

Deputy Health Minister Mohamed Hassan Bullale said this year’s arrangements include expanded medical support, with a team of health workers accompanying pilgrims to monitor their condition and provide immediate care while they are in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities are also receiving pilgrims from several other countries this Hajj season, including Somalia, the Philippines, Algeria and Morocco.

Entry processing at Madinah airport was completed efficiently, the Saudi Press Agency reported, with the help of modern systems and multilingual staff stationed at all points of arrival.

Saudi Arabia hosts one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings, drawing millions of worshippers for Hajj each year. Last year, 1,673,230 pilgrims completed the pilgrimage, including 1,506,576 from abroad and 166,654 from within the Kingdom, according to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

The arrival of the first Somali pilgrims points to stronger coordination among government agencies and underscores ongoing efforts to improve service delivery and safeguard the welfare of those undertaking the pilgrimage.