The first group of Moroccan pilgrims left Rabat-Salé airport on Friday for the Holy Places of Islam to perform the rite of pilgrimage for the year 1444 of the Hegira (2023).
Before the departure of this first contingent, the Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, read the Message addressed by King Mohammed VI, Amir Al Mouminine, to Moroccan pilgrims.
In a press statement on the occasion, the Minister indicated that 81 flights are scheduled as part of this year’s pilgrimage, noting that the last outward flight will take place on June 22, while return flights will begin on July 03 and will end on the 23rd of the same month.
The Minister specified that 49 of these flights, more than half, will go directly to Medina, thus sparing the pilgrims the constraints linked to transport by car.
Ahmed Toufiq also said that 10,500 pilgrims will benefit this year from the new “Mecca Route” approach launched last year by the Saudi authorities from Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport.
This year, the number of pilgrims is 35,000, of which 22,800 are supervised by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, while travel agencies supervise 12,200 pilgrims, noted the minister, noting that 51% of pilgrims are women. and 15% of them are over 80 years old.
In addition to ulemas and doctors, these pilgrims are supervised by 725 administrative supervisors, including 460 guides, most of them mourchidine and mourchidates, he added.