By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA, has unveiled comprehensive health requirements and guidelines for all intending pilgrims across the world planning to perform the 2026 (1447 AH) Hajj in the holy land.

A circular by the authorities of the KSA and made available to journalists by the Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations in the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Fatima Sanda Usara, outlines both mandatory and recommended medical conditions that must be met prior to undertaking the pilgrimage.

According to the circular, all countries, including Nigeria, are to ensure that their citizens performing Hajj are physically fit and free from ailments that could affect their health or that of others during the pilgrimage.

The Saudi Ministry of Health listed severe heart, lung, or kidney diseases, advanced chronic illnesses, and mental or psychological disorders as conditions that may prevent an individual from performing Hajj.

It mandates full compliance with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health medical fitness requirements for attending Hajj, including a certificate from medical authorities of the pilgrims’ countries confirming that they are free of conditions like major organ failure (heart, lungs, liver, or kidneys); neurological or psychiatric disorders that impair cognition or are accompanied by severe motor disabilities; senility accompanied by dementia; high-risk pregnancy at any stage; cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, biological, or radiological treatment; and active infectious diseases with a public health impact such as tuberculosis and hemorrhagic fever.

On vaccination, the Saudi health authorities reiterated that all intending pilgrims must present valid certificates of vaccination against COVID-19, meningitis, polio, and yellow fever before entering the Kingdom.

To ensure effectiveness of the guidelines, Saudi authorities will conduct health screenings at all entry points to ensure compliance with the set requirements while any traveler who fails to meet these health standards may be denied entry, isolated, or subjected to further medical evaluation.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah emphasized that “no pilgrim suffering from the listed diseases will be allowed to travel, and health certificates will be thoroughly verified before and upon arrival in the Kingdom.”

It also disclosed that additional measures may be taken if there are global disease outbreaks or international public health emergencies during or prior to the Hajj exercise, in coordination with the World Health Organization, WHO.

The NAHCON, has therefore, urged all intending pilgrims to take note of these requirements and ensure they complete the necessary vaccinations and health checks well ahead of the 2026 Hajj season.

The commission restated its commitment to work with the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards and Licensed Tour Operators to enforce compliance as provided to avoid travel disruptions at the point of entry into the Kingdom for Hajj.

By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has commended President Bola Tinubu for directing the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON to reduce the cost of the 2026 Hajj fare for intending pilgrims.

This is even as the group appealed to President Tinubu to also direct the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to peg the exchange rate for the 2026 Hajj at N1,000 to a US dollar.

Tinubu had through the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, on Monday directed that the Hajj fare for next year be reduced during a meeting with NAHCON’s management team in Abuja.

According to the Vice President, the downward review of the Hajj fare became necessary due to the continued appreciation of the naira against the dollar, the primary determinant of pilgrimage costs.

In a statement signed by the IHR National Coordinator, Ibrahim Mohammed, it described the President’s intervention as “most commendable,“ adding that it reflects his responsiveness to the needs of ordinary Nigerians.

“What the President has done is highly commendable and has shown that, as he always says, he feels the pulse of ordinary citizens at all times,” the statement reads.

The CSO noted that the directive aligns with its earlier analysis, which had shown that the over N8 million fare announced by NAHCON was on the high side and not reflective of prevailing foreign exchange realities across the country.

It further urged the federal government to consolidate the President’s directive by instructing the CBN to provide a concessionary exchange rate for Hajj 2026 pilgrims.

“We appeal to President Tinubu to direct the CBN to peg the exchange rate for the 2026 Hajj at N1,000 to the US dollar.

“Given that about 85 percent of the Hajj rate is transacted in US dollars, approving the concessions on the dollar rate will drastically reduce the Hajj fare as directed by the President,“ the group stated.

According to IHR, implementing such a concessionary rate will encourage more Nigerians to register for the pilgrimageand ensure that the country fully utilizes its allocated slots.