President orders reduction in state-reserved Hajj quotas

President Mohamed Muizzu has instructed the government to reduce the number of Hajj quotas reserved by the state from the total 1,000 allocated annually to Maldivians by Saudi Arabia, Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed told Parliament on Tuesday.

Dr Shaheem was responding to questions from MPs on the allocation of Hajj quotas and related issues. Several members raised concerns about officials from the Hajj Corporation or their family members being allocated places, potentially disrupting the established queue system. The minister denied such practices.

He said the Hajj Corporation allocates places in order of the queue and that family members of officials are not given priority. However, he noted that a portion of the quota has traditionally been reserved by the state for specific purposes, including:

“The President has now instructed us to reduce the number of quotas reserved by the state,” Dr Shaheem said. He added that all reserved quotas are allocated in accordance with existing rules and regulations.

The minister explained that Saudi Arabia’s Hajj regulations require the Maldives to send support staff such as cooks, doctors, nurses, and service personnel to assist pilgrims. He said these allocations are not used to provide opportunities for individuals without such roles.

Dr Shaheem attributed the long Hajj queue to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which 3,000 people were unable to travel over three years. The Hajj Corporation’s annual queue list typically includes 800 to 900 people.

He also outlined the quota allocation for last year:

The government has rules to regulate quota allocation, including: