President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has appointed Vice President Faisal Naseem as the Amir al-Hajj for this year.
Every year, a senior state official is appointed to act as the head of the pilgrims during the Hajj season. As the Amir al-Hajj, Vice President Naseem will ensure the smooth and safe travel of the Maldivian pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia.
The administration accords high priority to the secure and smooth conduct of the Hajj pilgrimage and all necessary actions are being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of pilgrims. As such, Vice President Naseem has held a meeting with officials from the relevant institutions to explore strategies for ensuring efficient transportation arrangements for pilgrims.
During the meeting, Vice President Naseem commended all relevant institutions for successfully organising the transportation of the pilgrims to the Velana International Airport (VIA) over the past four years. He emphasised that President Solih has entrusted him with overseeing and closely monitoring the preparations for this year's Hajj season to ensure its smooth execution. As in previous years, a dedicated committee would be established to supervise the preparations and operations.
Furthermore, Vice President Naseem highlighted the commitment to facilitate seamless transportation for the Hajj pilgrims. Arrangements will be made to utilise transportation services from Male' City, Hulhumale', and Villingili, including buses, ferries, and speedboats, to transport the pilgrims to the airport.
The Maldives received 1,000 quotas for Hajj this year. Two-thirds of the quota has been given to the Maldives Hajj Corporation Limited and the rest of the quota has been divided among three companies. The Hajj Corporation will be tasked with facilitating the travel of half of the Maldivian Hajj pilgrims this year while the other half of the quota will be distributed to three other companies. The ministry decided that the chosen companies will receive 90 slots each in order to facilitate easy and convenient travel for pilgrims.