The Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has urged individuals who have paid for the Hajj pilgrimage but were unable to go due to fraud to report such cases to the ministry.
Incidents of private organisations accepting payments from the public for the Hajj pilgrimage and then failing to fulfill their commitments due to inadequate arrangements have been reported on occasion. As such, authorities have taken action against companies responsible for such situations and the government has assisted individuals that lost money by enabling them to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage in subsequent years. Despite these efforts, some individuals have yet to receive the opportunity.
Speaking to Minister Shaheem stated that there are individuals that have not been able to go for the Hajj pilgrimage after making payments due to fraudulent activities conducted by companies. He encouraged affected individuals to inform and report such cases with the ministry.
The queue for the Maldives Hajj Corporation Limited has grown, with one of the primary reasons being the limited number of pilgrims sent for the Hajj pilgrimage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry is collaborating with the government of Saudi Arabia to streamline the Hajj process in the Maldives to address the increased demand.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced plans to facilitate free Hajj pilgrimage trips for 50 underprivileged individuals. In addition, he has committed to raising the annual Hajj pilgrimage quota for the Maldives from 1,000 to 2,000.