Govt grants Hajj priority to over-70s who have waited three years

The government has decided to provide Hajj places in 2027 to all applicants aged over 70 who have paid for the pilgrimage and remained on the waiting list for at least three years, with 324 people expected to benefit from the decision.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs said the measure was introduced in response to the number of elderly applicants on the Hajj waiting list and concerns that some may be unable to perform the pilgrimage after waiting several years.

The ministry said the decision was intended to provide more elderly Maldivians with an opportunity to fulfil their obligatory Hajj pilgrimage, taking into account the country's annual quota.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed and Maldives Hajj Corporation Managing Director Mohamed Firuzul Abdulla Haleel said the policy would be implemented transparently, based on applicants' ages and the dates on which they secured their places in the queue.

They said the same criteria would be applied to all eligible applicants without discrimination.

Under the policy, applicants will qualify for priority if they had paid for Hajj by 31 December 2023 and had reached the age of 70 by that date.

The Hajj Corporation said 324 people meet these criteria and will be given places for the Hajj pilgrimage in the Islamic year 1448, corresponding to 2027.

Of these, 86 applicants are aged over 75.

The corporation said the decision would help make use of the Maldives' Hajj quota while reducing the number of elderly people on the waiting list.

It also expects the measure to gradually increase the proportion of younger applicants in the queue.

The Hajj Corporation said arrangements would also be made to prioritise applicants aged 65 and above during the current allocation process.

It said the additional priority would be implemented without delaying the expected departure of applicants aged between 65 and 69 who are already scheduled to perform Hajj in 1448.

The corporation also intends to ensure that family members who have paid to perform Hajj together and are expected to travel this year do not lose the opportunity to accompany one another because of the revised allocation arrangements.

The priority system will apply only to applicants undertaking their obligatory Hajj for the first time. Those who have previously performed Hajj will not qualify under the measure.

The Maldives receives approximately 1,000 Hajj places annually.

The quota also accommodates pilgrims travelling under the government's programme to fund Hajj for 1,000 people in need over its five-year term.

The latest decision follows changes introduced last year to the rules governing repeat pilgrimages. Under those amendments, Maldivians were restricted from performing Hajj more than once within a five-year period.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs said the new priority arrangements were intended to address the waiting period faced by elderly applicants while ensuring that the available Hajj places are allocated according to established criteria.