Hajj Corporation begins notifying pilgrims picked for next year’s hajj

The Maldives Hajj Corporation has begun notifying pilgrims who have been selected to partake in next year’s annual hajj pilgrimage.

There are thousands of people waiting in queue to perform the hajj, many of them elderly citizens who have poured their entire lifesavings into the chance to perform the holy pilgrimage.

Mohamed Shakeel, the managing director of Hajj Corporation, told Sun on Thursday that they have begun notifying pilgrims guaranteed a spot for next year’s pilgrimage.

The Hajj Day next year falls on May 25.

Maldives usually receives an official quota of 1,000 pilgrims for the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. While a portion of this was previously awarded to private tour groups, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu decided in 2023 that the full quota should go to the Hajj Corporation, following complaints concerning the quality of services provided by private groups and allegations of overcharging.

Of the 1,000 quotas, 850 are reserved for people in order of the queue at Hajj Corporation, 100 are reserved for officials including aides to sickly pilgrims and cooks, and 50 are reserved for people registered as poor who receive state sponsorship for their pilgrimage.

There have been allegations that government officials, specifically officials from the Hajj Corporation, tamper with the hajj quota to enable them or members of their family to skip the long line of hopeful pilgrims who have been waiting for years to make the holy pilgrimage.

However, these allegations are denied by Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed as well as the Hajj Corporation.

In a session of the Parliament back in August, Shaheem said that President Muizzu had given instructions to reduce the number of slots reserved for state officials from the annual hajj quota.

He also announced plans to make more changes this year, including prioritizing first-time hajj pilgrims, introducing a quota for pilgrims aged 65 and above, and introducing a five-year cap for hajj pilgrims.