Ministry of Islamic Affairs has decided to permit Hajj Corporation and two other organisations to facilitate Hajj pilgrimages for Maldivians this year.
Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Ahmed Zahir said that the Maldives has not received its official quota but the Government of Saudi Arabia has disclosed that the number will be 453. The minister said the government is working to increase the quota but that only Hajj Corporation and two other organisations will be permitted to facilitate the pilgrimages if the quota is low. He said the ministry will distribute the quota to the organisations once the official number is announced and that it will begin accepting proposals from organisations after the Eid holidays.
Saudi Arabia has stated it will allow one million people to join the Haj pilgrimage this year, after two years of tight COVID-19 restrictions. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia stated pilgrims to Mecca this year must be under age 65 and fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Pilgrims from abroad will be allowed this year but must present a recent negative COVID-19 PCR test, and health precautions will be observed.
Last year, Saudi Arabia limited the Hajj pilgrimage to 60,000 domestic pilgrims, compared to the pre-pandemic 2.5 million.