By Abdullahi Yusuf

1. Max Air NGL2018 departed Jeddah to Dutse at 12:31hrs with 549 Jigawa pilgrims and 8 officials. Total Nigerian Return Airlift So Far: 32,339 pilgrims via 78 flights.

2. Flynas XY9036 departed Jeddah to Sokoto at 09:25hrs with 424 Sokoto pilgrims and 6 officials.

3. Max Air VM271 flew from Jeddah to Gombe at 07:24hrs with 551 pilgrims(Gombe = 549; Adamawa = 2) and 3 officials.

4. Flynas XY9096 departed Jeddah to Sokoto at 05:30hrs with 356 pilgrims(Sokoto = 140; Zamfara = 216) and 19 officials.

5. Air Peace APK7921 took off from Jeddah to Maiduguri at 03:10hrs with 311 Borno pilgrims and 5 officials.

6. UMZA UY3548 departed Jeddah to Kaduna at 19:11hrs with 468 Kaduna pilgrims and 11 officials.

7. UMZA UY3542 also flew Jeddah to Kaduna at 17:34hrs with 310 Kaduna pilgrims.

8. Max Air NGL2016 departed Jeddah to Katsina at 12:24hrs with 548 Katsina pilgrims and 11 officials.

9. Pakistan Senate panel demands Rs36 billion refund to over 67,000 pilgrims by August 15, following Hajj access failure.

10. Akasa Air to launch new Kochi–Jeddah route from June 29, expanding affordable Gulf travel for Indian pilgrims and expats.

11. Pakistan rolls out 2026 Hajj schedules, with registration starting July 10 and directives for early preparation from Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus.

12. Senate body investigates reasons behind over 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims missing Hajj 2025, linked to Mashaheer service lapses and late quota surrenders.

13. Saudi Arabia facilitates return of 65,000 Iranian pilgrims, with another 11,000 to follow, highlighting strong cross-border coordination and logistical planning.

14. Did you know? Madinah hotels offer women-only service floors in some hotels, especially popular during Muharram and Safar

15. Fun fact: Women attending Islamic New Year Umrah often participate in Ziyarah tours focused on the Sahabiyat and female historical figures.

16. Did you know? Many Muslim women around the world choose Muharram as their first ever Umrah due to the calmness and blessings of the month.

17. Did you know? Countries like Indonesia, India, and Turkey often send smaller Umrah delegations in Muharram as trial runs for Hajj.

18. Fun fact: Pilgrims from West Africa and Sudan prefer Muharram for Umrah due to weather similarities with home.

19. Fun fact: European Muslims often visit for Umrah in early Hijrah months to avoid summer travel prices.