All individuals aged 70 and above who have been listed on the Hajj queue for three years are to receive slots next year.
In a press conference held today, Minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowments Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed announced that under this policy, 324 persons aged 70 and above will be given the opportunity to complete the Hajj pilgrimage next year.
In addition to this, 86 persons aged 75 and above will be given the chance to go on Hajj pilgrimage with an assistant, bringing the total to 400, he said.
With the implementation of this policy, persons aged between 65 and 69 who are expected to receive slots next year will also not face the expected delays, Shaheem said, assuring that they too will be prioritized next year.
Minister Shaheem said that this policy has been set in place in consideration of the large number of elderly people on the Hajj queue awaiting slots in comparison with the total Hajj quota designated to the country. There is a legitimate concern that such persons may spend a long time anticipating the opportunity, and yet not receive the chance during their lifetime, Shaheem said. The ministry has brought these changes to the policy in the hopes of addressing this and facilitating the pilgrimage for the largest number of people possible, Shaheem said.
Hajj Corporation Managing Director Mohamed Firuzul said that the age of the applicant, and the date of registering on the queue will be taken into consideration in policy implementation. He assured that the policy will be enforced equitably and without discrimination.
The Hajj Corporation stated that this policy will ensure that the country's Hajj quota is used in the best possible way, and a large number of elderly persons on the Hajj queue will be provided the opportunity to complete their pilgrimage.
They estimate that with this change, the Hajj queue will have a higher prevalence of young persons on it in the future.
Under the policy:
- A person will be considered as having been on the Hajj queue for three years if they have completed payments by December 31, 2023.
- A person will be considered as being above the age of 70 if they reach 70 years of age by December 31, 2026.
Persons will be deemed eligible under this policy if they have not previously fulfilled Hajj pilgrimage, the ministry said.
With this change, some persons under the age of 65 on the Hajj queue may face delays of about one year. However, the ministry urged to consider that this change facilitates the pilgrimage for the elderly who have been in waiting for the opportunity for several years.
