From the 1,000 Hajj quotas allocated to the Maldives by the Saudi Arabian government this year, 870 have been distributed among the state-run Maldives Hajj Corporation and three other private Hajj groups.
According to the Managing Director of Maldives Hajj Corporation Ismail Hameed, the group received 600 quotas from the ministry. He also added that all the quotas for the general public have already been fully allocated.
“The 600 quotas we received will include doctors and other volunteers who will assist pilgrims,” Ismail said. He added that the group plans to send about 50 volunteers to support and assist the pilgrims.
The government granted permission to Al-Manasik Hajj Group, Sisilfaru, and Al-Haramain to facilitate affordable Hajj arrangements this year. Each of these groups has been extended 90 quotas, adding up to a total of 270 quotas.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has not yet announced its decision on how to allocate the remaining 130 Hajj quotas, after allocating 870 quotas to Hajj groups.
Meanwhile, the Senior Executive Director of the ministry, Murushid Abdul Hakeem, said that the ministry also received individual quotas for the Hajj pilgrimage, but he did not disclose the exact number.
Hajj groups submitting the lowest prices were selected by the ministry to facilitate Hajj trips this year.
- Sisilfaru – MVR 75,465
- Al-Haramain – MVR 75,250
- Al-Manasik – MVR 75,000
Despite the proposed Hajj prices, there have been several complaints that some of these groups were quoting higher prices to pilgrims. Some pilgrims have claimed they were charged as high as MVR 123,360 per head by some of the groups, while others claimed they were charged even higher.
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