Maldives asks Hajj quota increase to 2,500
According to the minister, half of the quotas will go to the state-owned Hajj Corporation, with the rest will go to three Hajj groups.
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Islamic minister Dr Ahmed Zahir said on Wednesday that the Maldives has requested Saudi Arabia to increase the Hajj quota allocated for the country from 1,000 to 2,500.
Speaking on PSM's Raajje Miadhu programme Wednesday evening, the minister said President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has requested the government of Saudi Arabia to increase the quota.
"We have high hopes of getting the quotas increased," he said.
According to the minister, half of the quotas will go to the state-owned Hajj Corporation, with the rest will go to three Hajj groups.
Last year, when the Hajj quota was issued to countries after a gap of two years, the Maldives received only 453 quotas. This was the year when the country got the lowest quota. While 1,000 official quotas have been given annually, additional quotas have been given with special permission from the Crown Prince and 2,000 quotas per year have also been given in some years.
