Managing Director of the Maldives Hajj Corporation (MHC) Mohamed Shakeel has assured that no one can influence the Hajj queues. He made the statement refuting allegations that some pilgrims were unfairly denied the chance to participate in Hajj pilgrimage this year.
In a social media post, Shakeel confirmed that all pilgrims from the official 1,000 quota for this year's Hajj pilgrimage have traveled to Mecca. He emphasised that everyone in the corporation’s queue was given the opportunity to perform Hajj this year, ensuring that the Hajj queue system remains untampered.
Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed announced that a total of 1,150 pilgrims will perform Hajj pilgrimage this year, marking an increase from previous years. Normally, between 500 and 800 individuals performed Hajj annually, but this year the number has exceeded 1,000.
Among the pilgrims, 50 individuals listed as poor have been sponsored by the government to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. A total of three flights have transported pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage as of June 7.