Islamic Minister Dr. Ahmed Ziyad on Monday revealed plan to establish a web portal to improve services provided to hajj pilgrims.
Speaking to Public Service Media – PSM, Minister Ziyad said the web portal will help the Ministry better monitor and manage all hajj-related services.
The number of people registering for hajj pilgrimage has been increasing year-on-year. Every year, many queue up outside the offices of hajj tour operators and the hajj quota received by the country is fully booked with heavy waiting lists. The government has continuously been working to increase the quota for Maldives, with the most recent quota increment coming in last year. The Saudi Arabian government doubled the quota of 1000 as a result of efforts by President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
This year, 1000 pilgrims booked their hajj tours though Maldives Hajj Corporation, established by the Government to better manage the journey for Maldivians. While the remaining quota of 1000 were divided amongst 5 local hajj tour operators who submitted the best proposals.
While the Ministry of Islamic Affairs is working under the direct guidance of the President to improve all hajj related arrangements, all relevant government institutions are contributing to the Ministry’s efforts to improve the overall hajj experience for Maldivian pilgrims.
Under its efforts to improve services provided to hajj pilgrims, the Ministry is now undertaking a project to establish a web portal to better manage hajj arrangements.
Islamic Minister Dr. Ahmed Ziyad said the portal will help the Ministry better monitor and manage all hajj-related services next year. He added that the portal would be similar to those used in other Islamic countries, and it will facilitate the documentation process, record keeping, information dissemination, and collection of fees.
The Minister also said it will soon review the Maldives Hajj Mission’s report on arrangements this year and take necessary measures to ensure an improved hajj experience in the future.