While additional hajj quotas that may be received will be handed over to private groups, the Hajj Corporation will be setting the price of the trip as well as providing names of pilgrims from their own waiting list.
Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has stated that if the Maldives is given an additional thousand slots as hajj pilgrim quota, these will be issued to private groups that organize hajj trips.
As of present, the government of Saudi Arabia grants 1000 slots for Maldivian pilgrims. The government has officially requested the Saudi Arabian authorities to double this number.
The Minister confirmed that all matters regarding hajj quotas, and taking people on hajj pilgrimages will be handled by the Maldives Hajj Corporation.
In the instance that additional quotas are granted, the corporation will assign private entities to arrange the trip for people on their lengthy list. The corporation itself will be managing and overseeing these trips. The price, too, will be set by the cooperation.
"This means, the queue registered at the Hajj Corporation will gradually be run through. Although it is managed by private companies, they will be issuing trip quotas in order of the corporation register."
"The former policy of allocating a quota, and charging whatever amount - no matter how high - the private company wishes, has now come to an end. I mean to say, it is the people who have registered with the hajj corporation who will first be allocated any extra spots we are given, and it will be given at a rate the hajj corporation decides is fair," the Minister explained.
Shaheem said that as increasing hajj quota is a key objective of Dr Muizzu, the government is currently in deliberations with their Saudi counterparts on the matter.
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