The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has released a comprehensive list of 15 major operational directives for the 2026 Hajj exercise, signalling a new era of strict enforcement regarding flight management, medical fitness, and pilgrim grouping.
The directives, which were communicated to State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards and accredited Hajj carriers, are designed to eliminate logistical errors, ensure pilgrim welfare, and comply fully with the stringent requirements of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The new rules place a significant burden of responsibility on both the State Boards and the pilgrims themselves.
The most critical directives include all approved Hajj carriers’ issuance of 2026 Hajj flight tickets to pilgrims ahead of departure, in collaboration with the State Boards. This to ensure pilgrims know their exact date, time, and place of departure.
Missing a scheduled flight is expected to come with serious consequences. The pilgrim will be treated as a “no-show” and may be required to bear the penalty, including paying for the unused seat.
More so, each pilgrim’s ticket will be digitally linked to their Nusuk Card, which will be pre-positioned in their assigned buses in Saudi Arabia. The nation’s new boarding card, containing comprehensive travel and flight details, must also be issued to each pilgrim before departure.
Notably, pilgrims cannot change groups after the visa is issued. They must remain with the group under which their visa was processed.
Furthermore, Pilgrims will travel in groups of 45, stay together in the same hotels in Makkah, Madinah, and the Masha’ir (holy sites), and return to Nigeria together.
Saudi Arabia’s new medical fitness requirements must be strictly enforced, with penalties for violations. Stating that Pilgrims with any of the nine disqualifying medical conditions (including major organ failures, active cancer, severe psychiatric disorders, and high-risk pregnancies) must not travel and will bear the full cost of their deportation if they do.
State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards must partner only with credible, certified hospitals for the issuance of medical fitness certificates against those specified diseases.
NAHCON is mandated to upload all pre-arrival data (including group lists, building, and bed-space details) onto the Saudi Nusuk Masar platform at least 72 hours before departure.
The remaining directives relate primarily to administrative compliance by State Boards, such as the prompt remittance of Hajj fares to avoid forfeited slots and the list of four approved Hajj carriers (Air Peace, FlyNas, Max Air, and Umza Air).
