Former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and his wife, Hajia Samira Bawumia, are safe and in good health in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, his office has confirmed, putting to rest public concern sparked by media reports that the couple had been evacuated from Doha, Qatar.

The clarification came in a statement issued by his special aide, Akbar Khomeini, who described the former vice president and his wife as "fine and safe," explaining that their travel was part of a planned religious pilgrimage rather than an emergency relocation.

According to the statement, the couple departed Doha on Wednesday morning for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, an important Islamic practice observed by Muslims worldwide.

The Bawumias commenced their Umrah on Thursday, March 5, 2026. They are scheduled to depart Saudi Arabia on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

The statement did not directly address the circumstances of their departure from Qatar, but the clarification follows conflicting media accounts about their departure from Qatar amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Umrah is a sacred Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that holds deep spiritual significance for Muslims. Unlike the annual Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, Umrah can be performed at any time of the year.

The pilgrimage involves a series of rituals, including Tawaf, the circumambulation of the Kaaba, and Sa'i, the walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa.

The couple is expected back in Ghana over the weekend.