By Abdullahi Yusuf

1. Max Air Flight NGL2014 departed Jeddah for Kano at 12:17hrs with 520 Kano pilgrims and 9 official. Total Nigerian Return Airlift So Far: 26,724 pilgrims on 64 flights.

2. Flynas XY9032 departed Jeddah to Abuja at 09:29hrs with 368 FCT pilgrims.

3. Max Air VM263 flew from Jeddah to Ilorin at 07:40hrs with 556 Kwara pilgrims and 7 officials.

4. Flynas XY9092 departed Jeddah to Sokoto at 06:56hrs with 423 Sokoto pilgrims and 7 officials.

5. UMZA UY3546 took off Jeddah to Minna at 00:38hrs with 481 Niger pilgrims and 2 officials.

6. Air Peace APK7917 departed Jeddah to Lagos at 18:32hrs with 227 Armed Forces pilgrims and 52 officials.

7. Max Air NGL2012 flew Jeddah to Ilorin at 14:00hrs with 548 Kwara pilgrims and 10 officials.

8. Final batch of 283 Sierra Leonean pilgrims departed Jeddah for Freetown at 11:45am KSA time. A total of 2,100 pilgrims performed Hajj from Sierra Leone this year.

9. In Sarawak, Malaysia, SUHA warns against rising Hajj scam cases. Victims lost millions to fake operators offering unauthorised packages.

10. A Pakistani pilgrim survived five heart attacks during Hajj. Emergency angioplasty and a mechanical heart device saved his life at King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah.

11. 50,036 Bangladeshi pilgrims have now returned home. Sadly, 38 deaths were recorded during Hajj 2025. The government continues to ensure medical support in the post-Hajj phase.

12. Ruaad Al Mashaeir applauds Al Khauthar Travels for excellence in service delivery and operational professionalism during Hajj 2025.

13. Wego reports that 78.8% of Saudi travelers are opting for solo summer travel, with 40.9% choosing 5-star hotels. Armenia emerges as a popular destination with a 143% search spike.

14. Fun fact: Many travel agencies offer “New Year Umrah packages” from 1st Muharram to 10th Muharram.

15. Did you know? The Saudi government uses the Hijri calendar to time and release all Hajj/Umrah quota allocations.

16. Did you know? Umrah e-visas are usually reset or reissued in line with the start of the Hijri year.

17. Fun fact: Most Hajj quotas and regulatory reforms for countries are reviewed after the 13th Dhul Hijjah to prepare for the new Islamic year.

18. Did you know? The Hijri year changesignals the launch of new pilgrim management systems, like ID revalidation and smart card upgrades.