13,855 pilgrims complete all requirements for hajj: Oman

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Muscat – All together 13,855 pilgrims have so far completed all travel requirements for hajj, according to the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA).

This figure accounts for 99 per cent of the total quota of 14,000 that Oman enjoys, while the rest are undergoing medical examinations.

Sultan bin Saeed al Hinai, Director-General of Administrative and Financial Affairs at the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs and the Head of the Omani Hajj Mission for 1444AH, shared key details regarding hajj during a press conference on Tuesday.

He also spoke about the implementation of an electronic management mechanism for hajj pilgrimage.

Additionally, the conference shed light on the comprehensive service package provided at the Mina and Arafat camps, as well as the meticulous selection process for delegation members from the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs.

Oman’s quota for hajj has been set at 14,000 pilgrims, which include 13,500 Omanis, 250 Arab residents, and 250 non-Arab residents, Hinai informed.

Furthermore, it was revealed that the majority of the pilgrims fall under the category of obligatory hajj, accounting for 86.9% of the total.

Other categories include those performing hajj on behalf of deceased individuals (1.8%), on behalf of incapable individuals (1.8%), and voluntary pilgrims, including women relatives and companions (9.5%).

Among the pilgrims, women constitute 49.3%.

In the age category, individuals aged between 30 and 45 represent 43% of the total pilgrims this year, while those in 46-60 year category accounted for 35.1%, followed by individuals above 60 years at 16.6%.

Young pilgrims between 18 and 30 years represent 5.3% of the pilgrims, the head of the Omani Hajj Mission informed.

Regarding the costs associated with the pilgrimage, the average price for air travel stands at RO2,054, reflecting a decrease of 7.5% compared to the previous year (1443 AH).

Similarly, the average cost for overland travel amounts to RO1,367, indicating a decrease of 7.1%.

Notably, the total value of contracts between pilgrims and hajj companies reached over RO24mn (RO24,191,480).

The Omani Hajj Mission recorded a total of 2,657 cancellations, signalling the necessity to review and reconsider the application process for hajj.

Dhofar governorate had the highest 669 cancellations, followed closely by Muscat governorate with 573 cases.