The first flight of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage took off Friday from Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) with 400 pilgrims on board. In an interview with L'Observateur, the General Delegate for the Hajj, General Mamadou Gaye, announced that Senegal had reached, for the first time, "100% of its quota," with 12,860 pilgrims spread across 25 flights. He attributed this unprecedented achievement to rigorous planning: "This year, we received the schedule too early. We officially opened the Hajj on July 25, 2025," he explained, noting that in previous years, the quota had remained between 10,000 and 11,000 registered pilgrims.

This edition is particularly notable for some fifteen innovations which, according to him, "completely revolutionize the governance and organization of the Hajj." Among them is the "Tariq Maka" (The Road to Mecca) initiative. From now on, Saudi immigration formalities are carried out directly in Dakar, a development that "eliminates the suffering of our pilgrims" by sparing them long waits upon arrival.

The authorities have also strengthened the decentralization of operations with the opening of six functional regional hubs: Ziguinchor, Kaolack, Touba, etc. The objective is clear: to prevent pilgrims from having to travel to Dakar with "all the inconveniences associated with travel." Furthermore, a pre-financing system with the Islamic Bank has made it possible to cover the costs of accommodation and transportation "even before receiving payment from the pilgrims."

On the medical front, a team of 82 doctors, representing all specialties, was mobilized to assist all pilgrims, regardless of whether they were attending public or private hospitals. General Gaye also emphasized the importance of providing human support through the "Pilgrimage School," where candidates receive religious, psychological, and moral training to better prepare them for the demands of the Holy Land.

Logistically, Air Senegal provided identical suitcases with color codes to "ensure better control, not only of the pilgrims, but also of their luggage." Finally, for daily comfort, Senegalese chefs are working with Saudi restaurateurs to "take into account Senegalese culinary tastes."

Despite these numerous innovations, the interviewee for the Groupe Futurs Médias newspaper reiterates an essential requirement: "No matter how many facilities we provide, if the pilgrim is not disciplined, it's all for nothing."