Envoy: 1,300 Gambian pilgrims to perform Haj

RIYADH: A total of 1,300 Gambian pilgrims will come to the Kingdom to perform Haj this year, Ambassador Omar Gibril Sallah said on Thursday.
“We hope that the pilgrims will observe the fifth pillar of Islam in peace and harmony and may Allah accept their prayers and forgive them for their sins and they return home safely and in good health,” he said.
Sallah said that Gambia has a quota of 1,500 pilgrims, although only 1,300 had so far confirmed their trip for Haj.
He said 98 percent of Gambia’s 1.8 million population is Muslim but the number of pilgrims coming is not so big compared to other countries because of the quota and global economic difficulties. “A two-way ticket alone costs $2,000. A pilgrim has to also spend on food and accommodation,” said Sallah.