Considering prioritising Hajj for those who have never been: Shaheem

The existing regulations on sending people to Hajj should be changed to give priority to those who have not performed the pilgrimage, said Islamic MInister Dr. Mohammed Shaheem Ali Saeed today.

Under the current Hajj regulations, people are able go to Saudi Arabia as often as you want to perform Hajj. Because of this, many express concern that they are unable to get a spot to go to Hajj within the limited quota Maldives gets.

As such, Shaheem has opened the regulation for public comment on social media.

He said in his post that some countries have regulations that require those who have performed Hajj to wait five years before they are able to go on Hajj again.

Shaheem told Mihauru that he plans to make changes to the regulations to give priority to new pilgrims, and to allow Hajj once or twice every five years and to give priority to people over the age of 65.

After considering public opinion, he would send it to President Dr. Mohammed Muizzu for his advice, Shaheem said.

“[The purpose] is to provide opportunities for those who want to perform the Hajj for the first time,” the minister said.

Shaheem said a second Hajj in Saudi Arabia is allowed every five years. In Egypt, Hajj is a once in a lifetime opportunity, he added.

"I believe there should be a systematic and fair change in the distribution of quotas so that as many people as possible from Maldives have the opportunity to perform the obligatory Hajj," he said.

Because private Hajj groups have charged exorbitant amounts in the past, the government has decided to give all Hajj quotas received by Maldives to the Hajj Corporation from this year onwards. However, people have to wait in queues for several years to go to Hajj on behalf of the government company.